Nuit
by NightcatMau
Summary: The original horror story and its sequel are presented here together for the first time. Nuit: When Skulduggery goes missing Valkyrie finds him in the catacombs of Paris, the only victim to survive the magical serial killer known as M. Nuit. Skeleton Cove
1. Nuit

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Erskine or Ghastly. This is after the novels, so Val is in her 20s. Nuit is an OC. WARNING: This chapter is rather dark and violent compared to my usual fluff. The faint of heart should turn back now.

* * *

I was running through the ossuary underneath the streets of Paris, both fists in flame, the voices of those long dead guiding me. They spoke from the skulls, from the bones, leading me on an unerring path through the labyrinth that many mortals had gotten lost in and never returned from again.

They were leading me on to hopefully catch a magical killer and save my partner before it was too late. He'd had Skulduggery for two weeks now and I feared as I raced through the skull and bone-lined tunnels that I'd find Skulduggery truly dead, added to the stacks of bones in a macabre form of art. What I found was so much worse.

I ground to a halt in a large room, the French Sanctuary agents who had been following me going around me in hot pursuit of the killer, one Monsieur Nuit. I stood frozen in place looking at Skulduggery. He was dead, he had to be.

He lay there inert and naked. Every bone in his body had been drilled into then connected to the others with wires, turning him into a fully articulated skeleton. Grotesque metal plates had been jammed into his spine and I could see from his mouth being open in a silent scream that most of his teeth had screws running into him. Surely the killer had killed him and did this with his body.

I approached and knelt down. Too shocked to cry, too numb to go into a rage and join the hunt for the killer. "Oh, Skulduggery." I breathed, and unbelievably, his skull turned to look at me.

"Valkyrie." He managed, and because we'd known each other so long I could read the expression on his skeletal features. He didn't care about the pain. The humiliation of being naked was what bothered him most. I took off my coat and covered him, thankful I was now nearly his height so that it covered him.

"Thank you." He rasped. Then his skull lolled back and I knew he'd passed out. The agents were returning, dragging the killer. They'd obviously beaten the man to death and I didn't much care. He'd killed a lot of their own agents and I understood exactly how they felt. They dropped the body, the leader whipping out a mobile to ring their Sanctuary for assistance.

Then they lifted Skulduggery tenderly onto another agent's coat and we carried him out of the ossuary, up into the blinding light of the streets of Paris. A van already awaited us, and soon we were in the infirmary.

The French doctors were highly skilled, but there was no easy way for them to get the twisted bits of metal out. Skulduggery was coming to as they started to operate, and I stayed, holding him as other doctors did the best they could to try and alleviate the pain.

Mercifully he passed out again and after several hours the doctors had removed all the metal and put healing balms on every hole. He would heal in body, but whether his mind would heal was something they did not know.

When he was at last in a bed someone, I couldn't even tell who after two days without sleep, led me to a Sanctuary room for guests and I fell asleep fully clothed.

* * *

By the next day when I went to him Skulduggery had lapsed into state of such deep meditation that the doctors could only hope he was healing himself. Ghastly had arrived and he led me out into the hall. We had wondered why Skulduggery had been in Paris in the first place, and now we knew.

"He was here for you, Val. The hotel room where he was abducted from our agents found a dummy potion. The killer had posed as a mage who had the ability to let Skulduggery live as a man of flesh and blood once more. I never told you this before, but he's in love with you."

I sagged against the wall. "Then this is all my fault, isn't it? I asked dully, and he shook his head.

"No, Val, never! Skulduggery fell for the same trap all the other victims did. Nuit's ability, as his name might imply, is to know whatever the victim most longs for, what they dream about at night. He could enter dreams, that's how he got to them, all of them. He blurred the lines between waking and dreaming. Skulduggery didn't even think to come to him, Nuit found him in his dreams."

I shivered, wondering if a man who could stalk the dreams of the living could ever truly die. Would he be even more powerful now? _No._ I told myself. _Nuit is dead. He is gone and finished. You're job is to watch over Skulduggery now._

"Valkyrie, perhaps I shouldn't have told you. But you had to know. He'd been going to pieces, not being able to tell you how he felt. But this is in no way your fault. Monsters like Nuit pick only on the vulnerable and weak. We weren't even aware of his existence until Skulduggery came to Paris and disappeared." I nodded. He was right of course, but I still felt guilty. I was headed back inside to resume my vigil when Ghastly stopped me.

"No, Val. He's going to need you strong when he comes around. I know you want to be with him, but you haven't been sleeping or eating. Come on then. Let me take you somewhere, get some food into you. Please. He'll have guards here." Ghastly nodded to the two Rippers who walked towards us. "Erskine's orders, come on then." He said gently leading me away as the black clad mercenaries took positions flanking the door.

* * *

As we had breakfast at a small cafe I voiced my worries to Ghastly. "Maybe I've seen one too many horror movies, Ghastly. But I don't think being dead is going to stop Nuit. If anything I think we made him more powerful. Think of it. You said yourself he steals the magic and souls of his victims. Where would a soul filled with all that power go when the body dies?"

"Hopefully straight to Hell where he belongs, Valkyrie. This is real life not one of your horror movies. Nuit is not coming back." Ghastly said firmly.

"Skulduggery did." I argued. We went on to other topics but I couldn't help thinking that Nuit would be back. But perhaps Ghastly was right. The majority of the dead never returned. I shook myself mentally and let Ghastly lead me on to more cheerful things.

"Sorry to just tell you how Skulduggery feels before, Valkyrie. But well, when he does wake up he's going to be fragile. It won't be the best time for you to bring up knowing he loves you, but I'd just hoped-" He trailed off with a helpless shrug.

"That I love him too?" I asked gently and Ghastly nodded, looking miserable. "I do and I'll stay with him, you know that. I was thinking of taking him away to a cabin my uncle has in the woods. It's very isolated. No TV or electric, he'll love it. I don't want him working again right away, I hope that's all right."

Ghastly nodded. "Good idea, Valkyrie. He'll fight you on it of course, he'll want to be back to work right away, but the man needs time alone with you. He needs time to heal. The doctors told me that Skulduggery was most likely kept awake for his torture and not allowed to pass out. It's how Nuit fed on the magic of his victims."

I shivered then nodded as he continued. "He couldn't steal Skulduggery's soul only because Skulduggery refused to die. He was holding on, Valkyrie. Waiting for us."

We were quiet after that both lost in our own thoughts. I only hoped that Skulduggery would agree to go to the cabin and we could both heal there, because I knew I'd see the sight of him as we found, naked and tortured, in my nightmares for a very long time.

* * *

 **Told you it was dark. Monsieur Nuit would translate to Mr. Night.**


	2. Chapter 2

Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Tanith, or Ghastly. Nuit is still my OC, such as he is.

* * *

Weeks passed. Skulduggery at last came to, his body fully healed. We were back in Ireland at this point and I wanted to take him away with me. I'd been having nightmares myself. Ones where I didn't save him in time, where he died. I only hoped getting away would be good for us both. But how could I approach him? He was morose, barely speaking to anyone. At last I couldn't stand it anymore and despite Ghastly's advice I spoke about my feelings for him. "Skulduggery, you most likely don't want to hear this, but I'm in love with you." I said and he looked at me.

"You're just saying that to get me out of here." He said sadly. "But I rather like being in hospital, truly I do." He was near tears and I took him in my arms he fought at first, but then relaxed into me weeping. "Why would you tell me that, Valkyrie? Why tell me that when it isn't true?"

I tenderly lifted his skull so I could look into his hollow eye sockets. "Because it is true, Skulduggery. I love you. I never told you before because I didn't think you'd ever fall in love with me. You told me you could walk away from your feelings, remember?" I asked and he nodded, sitting up.

"I lied, of course. You should never believe anything I tell you, Valkyrie." He paused and smiled at me fondly. "And thank you, for rescuing me. I knew if I held on you'd come for me, that you'd save me. So, what are you doing sitting there, woman? Fetch my clothes and we'll be on our way." I grabbed him in a tight hug then jogged to Ghastly's office. He'd made Skulduggery a new suit, fedora and shoes since the old ones had never been found.

"He wants to go home!" I said, almost dancing around Ghastly's office. Tanith was there and she squealed in delight, grabbing me in a tight hug. We were both hyper and Ghastly looked amused as he got Skulduggery's things.

"You girls stay here. We men need time alone." He said, flashing a smile to Tanith that made her coo. I snorted laughter and she elbowed me as he left.

"Oi! You two are going to be ten times worse, you know. So, are you taking him away with you?" She asked, excited.

"I hope so. I haven't offered yet. He knows I'm in love with him-" A squeal from Tanith made me wince in pain. "I have ears, you know. God! Anyhow, as I was saying, hopefully Ghastly will lay the groundwork for me by convincing Skulduggery that it is his idea."

Tanith squealed again, but brought her hands to her mouth to stifle the sound. "Why would he do that?" She asked.

"Because I asked him to. I talked to Uncle Gordon. Skulduggery knows of the cabin. It shouldn't take much for Ghastly to make it sound like I need a vacation." Tanith grinned happily and we were having tea when I swore I saw the shadows under Ghastly's desk move. I blinked and rubbed my eyes. Maybe I did need a vacation.

* * *

Ghastly had said whatever he'd said so well that when he returned with Skulduggery in tow Skulduggery was looking rather pleased with his skeletal self, dressed as he was in a lightweight white linen suit. He escorted me out the the Bentley that had been driven there for him, and got my door. I looked at him, utterly charmed. "Thank you, Skulduggery." I said and he grinned even more broadly, then went over to his side whistling to himself.

He smiled when I returned his gesture by getting his door. I blinked at him, realizing with a start that his facade looked new. Brand new. His hair was raven black and fell slightly past his shoulders in cascading curls, and the intelligent eyes were a startling shade of blue. His face was narrow and long, but in an attractive, masculine sort of way. Then I realized the facade didn't just cover his skull, which had always been a tad alarming to be honest, but was a full body facade. I whistled in appreciation.

"When did this happen?" I asked and he grinned at me.

"Seatbelt. And it happened in Paris. The old tattoos were gone and well, they have much better facades now. The doctors wouldn't hear of me being in love with you without one. If you don't like it I'll have it removed, but I'm rather enjoying it." He gave me a slight wink and I flushed bright red.

"Now you stop that." I said and he laughed. We drove to his house to pack, Skulduggery telling me on the way that he wanted to take me away somewhere for a while, just the two of us. I played along. Thought I did wonder when he had me pack for several weeks if we were going to the cabin. I had wanted to go that long, but never thought he would agree.

I watched him as he packed. He was humming to himself, utterly happy. He was not, in other words, behaving like a man who had been tortured for two weeks. We had such a close bond that he looked over at me, still smiling. "I'm fine, Valkyrie, I've been tortured before, remember? I didn't even feel most of it. I went away, to the past, to when we first became partners. The worst part, to be truthful, was you finding me naked."

I nodded. "Did Nuit tell you why? Most serial killers need to talk to someone and they usually pick their victims."

Skulduggery nodded. "I was vulnerable. Sort of like the Lonely Hearts type of killer. He was lonely too, so he was helping me. I didn't buy a word of it, of course since he was after my magic and my soul. I think he just made up an excuse that fit the situation. How have you been holding up? Any nightmares."

"Some." I admitted and he paused in shutting his suitcase to come over to me and hold me. I studied his facade. He was nervous and hesitant. I reached up to touch his face, surprised that the facade felt warm to the touch and like normal human flesh. Skulduggery smiled.

"Told you they improved them." He said, then he was leaning in and I closed my eyes as he kissed me. It was a chaste kiss, and nothing like I'd ever imagined with him since I didn't like the facade, good as it was, but he put all the adoration he had for me in that kiss and I returned it sevenfold, wrapping my arms around his neck.

Skulduggery gave a pleased grunt, then was parting from me. "That will be enough for now or we'll never get going. I appreciate you agreeing to go with me, Valkyrie. Oh, by the bye I also get to eat and drink in this form and my early experiments were rather successful, so I'd like to take you out to breakfast since I know you haven't been eating."

"Ghastly talks too much. Can you get hungry now as well?"

Skulduggery nodded. "I always was, to tell you the truth. I thought I was just missing food, but I wanted to eat. Well after I met you I did. You don't realize how good the simple things in life are until they're gone. Sorry, that's rather dark." He apologized.

"I understand, trust me. I thought you were dead." I said grabbing him in a tight hug and he laughed softly.

"Well I am a dead man, as well as a Dead Man, so I'm dead on two counts." He grinned at me. "Don't worry, Valkyrie, I had no intention of leaving you. Now then let's be off and something cheerful on the radio, yes?" He asked and I nodded happily.

In the Bentley I turned on the radio, forgetting I had fiddled with the stations setting. "I Remember" by Deadmau5 came out of the speakers and Skulduggery looked at me.

"That does not sound like my regular station." He said mildly, then pointed at the radio and his favourite station came on. That was new. He smiled at me. "Really, Valkyrie. That noise is going to rot the brains right out of your head." So we were back to me not changing his radio again. I smiled, wondering how he could listen to news reports, then realized he never stopped being a detective.

But I had my own pocket radio so we compromised and I soon had my earbuds in and was listening to my station. Perhaps not a match made in heaven, but then, what relationship was? Skulduggery and I liked grumbling and sparring over everything. Not in a mean way, just our way. It's how we showed we cared, I guess. Or had issues. Or both.

* * *

 **Yeah a tad slow I guess, but we are getting there.**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Fletcher, Caelan, China, Gordon or Ghastly.

* * *

Skulduggery tapped my shoulder and motioned for me to remove my earbuds. I did and he turned the radio down indicating he wanted to talk. He didn't even have to say a word of course. I knew exactly what he wanted to talk about, the facade. He looked at me rather sadly, his velvety voice tinged with regret. "I repulse you now, don't I?" He asked softly and I felt my heart break.

"No, Skulduggery, you don't. I'm just not used to seeing you this way, to be honest. It's a lot to take in."

"As a man you mean?" He asked.

"No, I've always seen you as a man, you know that. I'm in love with you remember?" I asked, taking his gloved hand in mine. "I've just- I've never had this kind of relationship before." I said and he raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Tell that to Fletcher and Caelan." He said mildly.

"Typical men thinking they were going to get somewhere they weren't. I didn't want them, not that way. I was waiting for you." I said and the Bentley swerved slightly. I laughed. "What kind of girl do you think I am, anyhow?" I asked and he blushed.

"But the facade, you're fine with it? I can feel things again, Valkyrie, for the first time in centuries and I want to share that with you."

"You will." I assured him. "Just as long as I get to kiss the real you every once in a while." He looked at me, a delighted grin on his face.

"That can be arranged. Any guesses to where we are going?" He asked.

"Knowing you some place we don't belong to do things we aren't supposed to. Wait, I didn't mean that the way it sounded." I said as he laughed and I blushed bright red. Skulduggery was teasing me as a man would tease a woman now, and it was taking some getting used to.

"Not quite. To Gordon's cabin, which I'm well aware you know about. I knew the instant Ghastly mentioned the place it had been your idea to go there. The man caved in about twenty seconds, it was pitiful. He ratted on you, one of his best friends." Skulduggery said, sounding highly amused.

"So why are we going?" I asked.

"Because _I_ want to take you there. We both need a rest, and a chance to see if what we have is real. You weren't doing something dreadful like watching "The English Patient" while I was in the hospital, were you?"

"That's repulsive, Skulduggery. Give me some credit for good taste."

"Just making sure."

I looked at him nervously then away again, thinking of my nightmares. They weren't always of him dying or me being too late to save him. The very worst involved China Sorrows. Sometimes they seemed to be images from the past, Skulduggery with China. Had he had an affair? Was that why China fought with his wife?

Then later, him seeing her during our partnership. Always he told her she was the one he was in love with, always he left me for her. I supposed the nightmares made sense. She was the same age so far as I knew, and she was always flaunting some type of relationship with him, always.

"What's the matter?" Skulduggery asked and I shook my head. "Valkyrie, you do love me, you do want to go with me, don't you?" He asked and I managed a nod as I fought back my tears. "Then please tell me, you're frightening me."

"You'll get angry."

"I'll get over it. What's wrong?"

"You'd rather- You'd rather be back with China, even after everything she's done, wouldn't you?" I asked, and the Bentley swerved again. Skulduggery pulled to the side of the road and just stared at me, his expression heartbroken.

"Back with China? I was never _with_ China in the first place, despite what she thought to the contrary. But I'm not angry. I always wondered when her acting like she had a claim on me would come up. She's a very jealous and disturbed woman, Valkyrie. I was never with her, ever."

He took me in his arms and held me tight. "That's what your nightmares have been about, isn't it?" He asked gently and I nodded. "You poor woman. I don't wish to alarm you, but I've been having nightmares as well, about you and Fletcher or you and Caelan." He said, half laughing, half crying from the relief of telling me.

"I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams." I quoted and he smiled.

"You do remember that Hamlet went mad, don't you?" He asked as we parted and he started driving again.

"That was from Hamlet? Oh right. I was thinking more of the horror movie it was in."

"Horror movies contain Shakespeare?" Skulduggery asked doubtfully.

"Oodles of it and opera, and fine art, and everything else. It is a device they use to show it is a worthwhile genre."

"And how is that working out for them?" He asked dryly.

"Quite well, actually. They taught me Shakespeare, didn't they?" I asked and he snorted in reply. "You do know your nightmares were total rubbish, right?" I asked gently. "Fletcher was sure you and I were together even then. I suppose he was right, in a way."

Skulduggery smiled over at me. "Now I do. Don't you find it a bit unusual that we both had nightmares, vivid nightmares after Nuit's death?"

"Ghastly would say we are sorting out what happened." I began carefully. "But Ghastly says a lot of things. I told him I thought Nuit might be back, but how would we fight him if he is back?" I asked, then a movement in the rear view mirror caught my attention and I gasped.

One of the monsters I loved from horror movies had been in the mirror for an instant. He looked at me from under the brim of his hat and winked at me, adjusting his black duster more securely around him. But when I looked in the backseat he wasn't there. "Tell me you saw that." I said uneasily. Skulduggery shook his head. "I saw someone, but only for a minute. He couldn't have been there of course. He isn't even real."

"Then you really need this time off. It could be hallucinations and simple nightmares on both our parts, Valkyrie. Stress can make you see all sorts of things that aren't there. Who was it?"

"A monster from a horror movie." I admitted.

"See?" Skulduggery asked and I nodded. Maybe he was right. A rusted truck passed us, and pulled in front for a while. I looked at the license plate and smiled. It read 'BEATINGU' just like in the movie the monster had been in. I rubbed my eyes and it was a normal plate again. I sighed and closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

I felt a gentle shake and saw we'd pulled into the car park of a fast food chain. I looked at Skulduggery who shrugged. "I've always wondered what the appeal of these places is. Plus it is rather inexpensive. So shall we?" He asked and I nodded. We were going into the restaurant when I saw the same monster again, this time reflected in the glass door.

He had the sharp battle ax with him he'd used in his second film and again he winked at me, then opened his mouth to move his tongue around his lips in a sensual gesture. Of course I turned to look for him thinking it was a rather excellent cosplayer and of course he wasn't there.

Skulduggery looked at me, frowning slightly and I shrugged. We went inside and ordered, then sat in one of the booths. Skulduggery took one bite of his burger they looked at me in dismay. "This is terrible!" He said and I nodded.

"Most fast food is, Skulduggery. Hence calling it fast food and not good food."

"Well, I suppose that makes sense. Eat up then if you can." He grumbled. I looked at him and knew he wasn't going to eat. I looked down at my mystery meat on a bun and knew he had a point.

We ditched our food in the trash and soon found a small roadside restaurant. We both got the fish and chips and Skulduggery looked much happier with his food. "Remind me never to take you to one of those places again. That was terrible." He said and I grinned.

"You know it is nice seeing you eat for a change and I think you're right. If you don't sleep you start seeing hallucinations and, yes, I learned that from a horror movie too. But why would I see something I like? I though you saw strange things when it happened."

"You _like_ strange things." He said and I nodded. An older man came in and passed us with a friendly nod, whistling. I felt odd. Was he whistling what I thought he was? I shook my head. Horror movies weren't real and I was fairly sure a kindly-looking old man wasn't a movie monster in disguise. Still, I looked out into the parking lot, half expecting to see a rusted 1941 Chevy COE truck parked out front. There wasn't one, of course.

Skulduggery frowned slightly. "Valkyrie? What is it?"

"Too many horror movies."

"I could have told you that. I never could see why you watch those things. But a few days rest any you'll be right as rain. I've been seeing things too, I wouldn't worry about it." I was distracted but forced myself to turn back to Skulduggery. The bad part was I had wanted the monster to be there. Had almost wanted to- To what? Run away with him? But Skulduggery was the man I was in love with.

I told myself the attraction and seeing the monster were only fangirl imaginings. It wasn't as if the monster were real. And even if he was it was Skulduggery I loved. Sure the monster was cool, but most monsters were. I smiled over at Skulduggery and he returned the smile, seemingly unsure.

"Sorry, Skulduggery. I just keep getting reminded of a monster I might have a bit of a fangirl crush on."

"How can anyone develop a crush on a monster?"

"It happens. You should see fanboys talk about female monsters."

"I'll take your word for it. But I suppose it isn't any more strange than being rather smitten with a Hollywood actress." He said and a rather dreamy expression came over his face. I flinched inwardly. It was normal that we'd both have crushes of course but his seemed to border on being in love.

He'd almost dropped me out of the sky while we were flying once for talking about her and I wondered uneasily if, all things being equal he wouldn't rather be with her. No wonder I was seeing things. I was seeing an escape hatch: a man, well, monster who would truly appreciate me.

Skulduggery after all adored beautiful women and I was plain if anything despite him insisting otherwise. I'd never stand a chance if his Hollywood obsession walked into his life and I knew it. I wondered then if his hallucinations were about her and judging by his rather faraway and besotted expression they were.

* * *

 **Well, well. Trouble in paradise. Free cyber cookies to anyone who knows who the movie monster is.**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery or Valkyrie.

* * *

We'd just walked back outside to the Bentley and Skulduggery was getting my door for me when he suddenly grabbed me and lifted me off my feet to pull me into a searing kiss. I was startled, but could feel the desperation in the gesture and returned the kiss sevenfold. At long last Skulduggery set me down again smiling gently at me. Though I think the applauding and cheering crowd lined up at the restaurant windows may have had something to do with it.

"You're door, m'lady." Skulduggery said, highly amused but the commotion we'd caused. I laughed and got in then watched him walk around the Bentley. People were still watching, grinning goofily and he doffed his hat to then, then bowed with a flourish, drawing more applause. I laughed and gave him a chaste kiss as a reward as he got it.

Skulduggery grinned and put the Bentley into drive. "Seatbelt, and that was rather fun, wasn't it?"

"It was rather fun. But the detective in me wants to know what brought it on."

"I was starting to hallucinate again. It occurred to me that it was Nuit's doing. That he is trying to divide and conquer. But as soon as I fought back by thinking of how much I love you a fog lifted."

"For me too. The moment you kissed me I realized I'd never felt that strongly towards that particular monster. But how is Nuit attacking us during our waking hours?"

"I have two theories. One, research proves that in sleep-deprived people parts of the brain go to sleep. Two, he may be tremendously stronger now and not even need us to be asleep. But on the bright side he seems to only be able to attack one of us at a time. Were we in a more crowded area he might have picked more appealing magical targets."

"Which is why were still going to the cabin, to save innocent mages?"

"Yes, Valkyrie, it is. What happens if he gets past us and into the real world at large once more? I think he is stuck with me because I was the one victim he failed to kill. But if he should succeed-"

"Don't say that!" I interrupted.

"If he should succeed he'd take you too and I'm not allowing that to happen." Skulduggery finished. "I'm madly in love with you, Valkyrie Cain. I'd marry you tomorrow if I could." He said, his voice shaking from emotion.

"I feel the same way for you, Skulduggery." I admitted and leaned into his shoulder the best I could while still buckled up. He wrapped one arm around me and smiled at me gently.

"You know, if you're a very good girl I could forget about wearing the façade tonight." He purred and I giggled.

"And if I'm a very bad girl?" I asked teasingly.

"Then I'll _really_ forget to wear the façade tonight. You are a bad girl, tempting an innocent skeleton."

"There's nothing innocent about you. That's why I love you."

* * *

We made good time and got to the cabin shortly before dark. Skulduggery was clearly excited to be there. He brought our bags in then saw to a fire and lit the candles, all using his magic. Blinds drawn and doors locked he dropped the façade and shook himself happily. "Ah, much better. Now then, didn't you want to kiss me without the façade?" He asked and I went to him happily.

He looked at me, tilting his head slightly. "You are a curious woman, Valkyrie Cain, most young ladies would much rather have the façade." He said gently. But as he brushed his teeth to my lips I knew he was happy with my choice. Very happy.

We parted far too quickly and I could tell he was smiling. "That was wonderful. Even better than with the façade. I feel things as I used to with it on, but this is wonderful, more intimate somehow. What say you to my using the façade only outside our home and not in a place where I don't need it like the Sanctuary?"

"I say that's a wonderful idea. Can I tell you something?" I asked.

"What?" He asked happily.

"I like this place. No electric but at least we have running water. It is kind of nice to get away from everything for a while. No TV, radio or computers, no mobile when those run down."

"Nonsense, I bought us something." He said, grinning. "Close your eyes, dearheart." I giggled at the pet name but obediently closed them and heard Skulduggery rooting around in one of his bags. He set something down on the table in front of me. "You may open them."

I did and gasped in wonder. Skulduggery had brought a hand crank emergency power generator. It had a radio and light, and a place to charge things like mobiles. I looked at him and could tell he was smiling. "Sort of the first thing I ever bought thinking of us as a couple. I got it at a truck stop a while back when you were fast asleep. Those places sell everything."

"Skulduggery, that's so sweet of you." I said and meant it. I patted the couch and he happily joined me. We got ourselves settled with me leaning back into Skulduggery and he pointed at the radio which obligingly came on. Soothing music filled the cabin and I felt him sigh and relax further into the sofa.

"This is the life." He said happily, wrapping his arms around me.

"I agree. You know, I just remembered this place only has one bed."

"True, but the wonderful thing about skeletons is we don't take up much space." I craned my head up to look at him and he snorted gently. "I meditate in chairs, remember?" He asked amused.

"Yeah, I forgot, I guess. I'm more used to seeing you fall asleep in the Bentley on stakeouts."

"I never!"

"Right, that's my other partner who is also a skeleton. The one who is hoping he ends up sleeping beside me so he can protect me from my nightmares." I said, biting my lip.

"You don't know how badly I've been waiting for you to ask, Valkyrie. Of course I'll protect you, though as a gentleman I'll sleep on top of the covers."

"You don't have to, Skulduggery. We're together here and you're not pawing me to death."

"You trust me that much, do you?"

"Yes, I do. You're not disappointed that I like you better this way, are you?" I asked.

"Disappointed? I'm thrilled beyond words, Valkyrie. I like having the façade for our work, but I feel things with my bones too. I just didn't want you to turn me away. I can't imagine how you enjoy me kissing you, how lying with me now isn't hurting you."

"I guess because I want to be with you. I don't know, we have plenty of time to figure it out." I said sleepily. I closed my eyes and was soon asleep.

* * *

I dreamt but it didn't seem to be my usual nightmare. China wasn't trying to steal Skulduggery and I wasn't running to save him only to arrive too late. I was walking in Dublin on a sunny day, happy to be alive. That worried me a tad as by and large I don't go for walks and feel happy to be alive.

I noticed all the shops were closed and empty leaving reflective surfaces I half expected to see the monster in. I laughed. He wasn't real of course. I wondered why Skulduggery wasn't there and then I knew why. Black storm clouds rolled in and thunder started to boom. A strong wind started up, blowing my hair out behind me and I closed my eyes and inhaled the delicious scent of the air before a storm hits.

I opened them and looked back into the large shop window I'd been facing and saw Nuit standing behind me. I spun and he was gone. When I turned around again he was there. Dressed in a black robe, the hood pulled so far forward that I couldn't see his face. I realized with a start I hadn't, nobody had, it was another one of his confusing magical gifts.

Nuit brought his hands up in the reflection to touch my shoulders and I felt his hands even though I couldn't see him. He leaned forwards, watching us both in the reflection. "You have proven to be quite the problem." He said his voice barely a whisper. "Any time I have the skeleton in my grasp he breaks free because of you. I want you to leave him and you will, soon."

"You're insane." I snarled.

"No, my dear, just very determined. I've never lost a victim yet. Though I could be persuaded to make an exchange of sorts."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning you stay here, in the world of dreams. You'll never wake up, I'll see to that."

"Why would you want me here?" I asked distrustingly.

He tilted his head thoughtfully. "You're right, I really don't. I'll just have to kill you both." That angered me so I went Darquesse on him, spinning around and decapitating him with my shadows. Or I would have, had he been there.

I heard his mocking laughter behind me and turned around to face the window once more. "What is it with you and mirrors?" I asked angrily and I sensed him smiling.

"They give me the power to walk into your world. You two saw what I wanted you to see, but it was really me, the whole time. Stalking you, coming on to you. I wonder how far you would have gone with me." He chuckled evilly. "But it gets better, my dear. Your little skeleton has quite the obsession with a certain film star. I wonder what he'd give for just one night with her."

I snarled and lashed out with my shadows, shattering the window. I could still hear Nuit's laughter. "You can run along and wake up now, your boyfriend won't though. All he has to do is give in to my illusions and he's mine. Tell me, how much of a fight do you think a man who hasn't known a woman in four centuries will put up?" He asked and I snarled in rage.

"A lot! Unlike you he has self control and it's me he loves, not her."

"Oh, is it now? Would you like to see what he is dreaming of right now all on his own?" Nuit spoke the window reformed and I saw Skulduggery with his obsession. I told myself it wasn't real, that it was one of Nuit's tricks. But then he was kissing her, telling her I had been a mistake. Nuit laughed coldly behind me.

"I never understood love. Lust, yes. But not love. Until you. I don't see why you don't just walk away from him and come to me. You I'd spare. You're like me, you're evil. You like to kill. Tell me, Valkyrie," he paused and I shivered slightly as he put his arms around me, "tell me: what would Darquesse do to the woman Skulduggery loves more? Oh, we both know the answer to that, don't we? That Darquesse would be wishing she'd left him in Paris, that secretly that it is what Valkyrie wishes too."

Nuit walked me forward and I somehow passed through the glass and was awake. But I could still hear his voice in my head. "I'm the man you really want, I'll be anything you desire. You think of that when his obsession grows worse." Then his laugher was echoing in my head and I couldn't make it stop.

* * *

 **Great a serial killer is in love with Val, or is he?**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I still don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie or anyone else you might recognize.

* * *

I looked at Skulduggery, still deep in meditation and for a fleeting second I did want to abandon him there. That he'd dream such dreams on his own hurt. But I scolded myself. He couldn't help what he dreamt and unless he was a lucid dreamer like I and Nuit obviously was he'd be pulled along helplessly by the dream. And it wasn't like I hadn't been smitten myself recently, was it? We'd both always have crushes and I could either learn to deal with it like an adult or loose him.

I knew nothing could wake him and that even now Nuit had him. Luckily for me like most sociopaths the killer thought he was a special snowflake and had told me how he entered dreams. It might have been an Adept power to him, but what Darquesse saw she understood and could predict and even imitate.

I had two options then as I saw it. Go in after Skulduggery, or pull Nuit out into the world of the living. I grinned. Who knew horror movies would have given me all the training I needed to fight him? Still I didn't want to do anything that could harm Skulduggery and we needed a way to destroy Nuit once and for all. As much as I hated to do it, I knew I'd have to spare him for the moment and rescue Skulduggery.

I thought about how Nuit traveled. He said through mirrors, and it seemed any reflective surface. He'd taken me through the window when I was still Darquesse and I'd understood how his magic worked but could I imitate it? Walking in dreams was something that usually only worked in horror movies. I grinned, thinking of an obvious film reference. So what would the monster in that film do?

He'd go in and slash Nuit to ribbons for starters. I took a candle and looked around for a mirror but the cabin seemed to be bereft of reflective surfaces. But there was a lake outside wasn't there? I walked out and peered into the mirrored surface. I needed to get into Skulduggery's dream and get him out as quickly as possible. Once Nuit knew I could follow him in he'd block my entry.

I let my darkness come over me and I was Darquesse once more. I looked back into the lake and saw Nuit's image. But now it was different. The hood of the robe was further back. I could make out a muscular face, but then it seemed to shift and become longer, and long black hair started to cascade out from under the hood. "I can be him." He rasped. "Come to me, my love, my sweet Darquesse. He will never love the monster in you, but I will."

I tilted my head and looked at him. "How is it that when you speak I hear English? Your profile said you're of French extraction with no foreign language skills."

Nuit's face shifted back to the muscular visage. "But I am speaking French, mon petit chou. Besides, you know you really desire a man who can give you everything that heap of bones cannot. I can be your lover in ways that skeleton could never dream of-" I'm sure it was a really good boast but a velvety voice interrupted.

"Oh no, you cannot." Skulduggery said smoothly, coming to stand beside me. He drew his revolver firing into the lake and destroying the image and Nuit's link to our world. For the time being at any rate. Skulduggery holstered the revolver and looked at me. "Tell me you were planning a rescue mission." He said as I let my darkness recede. I nodded and followed him back into the cabin.

"I was, actually. He can only fight one of us at a time. I was coming in for you. We need a way to destroy him. A Soul Catcher wouldn't work, would it?" I asked.

Skulduggery shrugged and led the way into the tiny kitchen area and started to prepare coffee. I could tell he was nervous and belatedly I realized why. He could be my lover in the same capacity as Nuit but only if I accepted his full body façade and we both knew it gave me the willies. He looked at me seeming to read my thoughts. "It's that I'm still a skeleton inside, isn't it? That's why you don't want to make love to me as a man."

I felt my heart melt and went to him taking him in my arms. "Skulduggery this is all so new to me. You said yourself you got the façade so I wouldn't reject you as a lover. And yes, I think the real you is a whole lot better than the façade. But if you are asking if I will make love to you when we're both ready in whatever way makes you happiest, then yes, yes I will. I love you, Skulduggery."

Skulduggery hesitated then reached up and tapped his collarbones, causing the façade to flow over his bones. I knew what I had to do then as I looked deeply into his eyes and saw his fear of rejection. Liking the façade or not I pulled him down into a searing kiss that he was very enthusiastic about returning.

I ran my fingers through his hair, obligingly parted my lips so he could delve into my mouth. Skulduggery took the invitation and was exceedingly tender with me. One gloved hand gently cupped my head as the other roamed my body. Skulduggery's tongue was gently exploring, teasing me into explorations of my own.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and was thinking of walking him either backwards to the living room and couch or seeking out the bedroom when he pulled back with a contented sigh and beamed at me. "That was wonderful, Valkyrie. I've decided to be a greedy man and ask to be your lover both ways because I need both. Does that work for you?" There was a hopeful note in his voice as he stroked my face tenderly. I nodded happily and he drew me into him, cradling my head onto his chest.

"You know, Skulduggery. Every man is a skeleton inside, so I never want you feeling like your less in my eyes, all right?" I asked as he stroked my hair fondly. Skulduggery smiled down at me, tears glimmering in his eyes.

"You don't know how happy you've just made me, Valkyrie. Yes, I was afraid you'd reject a skeleton as a lover. But I was afraid you'd reject me this way too. After we've made love and you see how I can make you feel-" I cut him off with a gentle kiss.

"Skulduggery Pleasant, you're the man I'm madly in love with. I love you both ways. All you ever had to do was tell me what it meant to you. Now that I really know I'll be your lover either way, but aren't we getting a little ahead of ourselves?" I asked, grinning. Skulduggery smiled and nodded unwrapping his arms from around me to get two mugs and attend to our coffee.

"That's the problem with being such a good mentor, I made too good a detective out of you. You were supposed to give into my masculine wiles." He said treating me to a wolfish grin.

"Skulduggery!" I scolded, blushing furiously. Skulduggery, of course, just laughed, clearly delighted with finding a new way to tease me.

* * *

A while later we'd found the lone bedroom and climbed into bed. Skulduggery hesitated, looking at me helplessly. I knew he wanted in the bed with me but with the façade on. "Oh, come on." I said patting the bed and he got in, still fully dressed.

"You really ought to think of sleeping in your clothes, Valkyrie. You'd be ready at a moment's notice then." He said as he cuddled me into him. "Wait, what am I saying? You're half naked. I like this just fine. In fact you should sleep naked." He said and grinned at me happily, his tone clearly playful.

"You first." I teased back.

"Bad girl." He mock admonished and at his gesture the candle he'd carried in went out. Under the cover of darkness Skulduggery shifted and started trailing kisses up and down my neck, making me gasp and shiver in delight. He pulled back and laid back down, readjusting me into him.

"I know that wasn't much of an indication but I do want to take things slowly, Valkyrie." He murmured sleepily.

"I do too, Skulduggery. So do you think a Soul Catcher would work?" I asked and felt him stiffen. "What is it, are you all right? Did I hurt you?" I asked worriedly.

"No. You didn't hurt me, Valkyrie. There's only one person I know who'd be able to kill Nuit and make it permanent, but he's hardly on speaking terms with either one of us. Still the French Sanctuary had spotted him in Paris. He was tracking Nuit, he has some sort of vendetta against the man."

"Well, who is it?" I asked uneasily.

"No one we can trust. We'll find another way." Skulduggery said, clearly agitated, but the pieces were falling into place.

"Oh my God. Nuit wasn't an Adept. He can't shapeshift either, but he can cloud minds, he can get inside your head because he was a vampire, wasn't he?" I asked dully.

"Not a full one. He must have been bitten and got the powers of a legendary vampire but not the form. You notice they tend to do more ripping their skin off and wanton slaughter than mind control. Whoever bit him may have been older and more powerful than any vampire we've encountered before. I don't like it, but we may have no choice. We may need to contact the one person who can kill him." Skulduggery said tightly.

"Who?" I asked, knowing the answer but hoping I was wrong.

"Dusk." He said and I felt my heart ice over.

* * *

 **Great, the one person sure to be able to kill Nuit also has an unending hatred for Valkyrie. I obviously don't own Dusk either.**


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie or Dusk.

* * *

I woke the next morning having slept peacefully with sweet dreams of Skulduggery and our future together. It struck me as odd that Nuit hadn't attacked again during the night and I wondered if he had been too weak, or just gone after a softer target. I opened my eyes worriedly and saw Skulduggery beside me smiling happily at me.

He was still wearing the façade and he looked nothing short of angelic with the early morning light playing off his white suit and fair skin. I found myself getting lost in his heavenly blue eyes and his smile grew into a pleased but sleepy grin. "Mm. Morning." He said, his velvety voice still muzzy with sleep. "I slept extraordinarily well last night, Valkyrie. And yes I said slept, not meditated. It was rather wonderful to be honest."

"That's wonderful, Skulduggery. I said, grinning happily. "It's because of the façade, isn't it?" I asked gently.

"Yes, indeed it is. And our being together, our being willing to fight him off, we chased him away somehow. There were people here to set up wards and you and I are both sporting charming necklaces with sigils on. Don't take it off, even for an instant, all right? They're the only thing keeping him out of our minds for the present. We have the Sanctuary working overtime to find a way to contain him and of course Dusk was already in touch with the Sanctuary. He seems well aware Nuit is back."

I sat up in alarm. "He's not coming here, is he?" I asked and Skulduggery shook his head.

"No need, not for the present at any rate. He's in an utter rage because the French Sanctuary seems to have misplaced Nuit's body. But enough of that. I am going to make you breakfast. So get a shower, my lovely and most loyal combat accessory." Skulduggery murmured leaning in to kiss me. It was sweetly chaste and he smiled into it.

I pulled back to look at him happily. "Someone's been in the shower. You smell wonderful." I said and he looked pleased with himself.

"I always wondered what all the fuss was about. It was wonderful, Valkyrie. We need to get one of those showerheads for home. I like all the fancy settings." He said with a grin. Skulduggery ruffled my hair and got up so I went in for my shower. I was touched that he had watched over me while I slept by working so hard them come back to bed just to be beside me. I knew then that he needed me that he was in a lot of ways letting me closer than he'd ever let anyone before and I was determined not to betray that trust.

Skulduggery had such a wonderful breakfast ready for us both that I looked at him in utter awe. He'd covered the kitchen table with a golden tablecloth and a dazzling array of dishes were fanned out in front of a lone candelabra. There was a carafe of orange juice, coffee in an urn, french toast, eggs, sausages, bacon, spiced potatoes, even sliced fruit and cream. But as amazing as the bounty was coming from a man who could only manage cold cereal the sight of him was even better.

He'd changed into a fresh suit in a slightly heavier charcoal material with white pinstripes and a matching fedora. "You look very dashing and handsome and this looks wonderful. Where on Earth did you even get the food to cook?" I asked and he looked touched that I'd noticed all the effort he'd put into pleasing me.

"Remember the truck stop I mentioned? I told you you could get everything there. I got groceries as well this morning. It was no trouble, though I'm seriously thinking this place could do with a fridge and stove. Still, nothing like cooking over a fire and Gordon had the place well stocked with pans."

Skulduggery got my chair for me and I thanked him. He insisted on serving me as well and smiled as he set my food before me. "You really do love me, don't you?" I asked and he blushed and waved a dismissive hand. "No, I mean it, Skulduggery. I know you hate to cook. So I know how much you love me from this. Thank you so much. I love you too, by the way." I said and he looked slightly misty eyed.

At his gesture the radio came on and the candelabra lit itself. I smiled at him, truly touched. All he'd needed was to be shown he'd be loved no matter what and he was letting his guard down at long last. "I thought we might take a walk today in the woods, Valkyrie, then some fishing later perhaps?" He asked and I smiled in delight.

"I love to fish, Skulduggery! I can't say I've been in a long time, but dad used to take me. But we don't have rods, do we? Or bait?"

"Gordon has a sportman's paradise in the basement. He'd been reading Thoreau's "Walden" at the time he found this place, I believe." He sounded fondly amused. We both knew Gordon did all sorts of things he never finished and while I knew he'd liked fishing well enough I couldn't imagine what else might be down there. "As for the bait, I told you that truck stop has everything, besides I'll teach you to dig up all sorts of creepy crawlies from under rocks and logs." I made a face in dismay and he laughed.

We took our time over breakfast, somehow finding things to get caught up on, parts of our lives we'd never shared before. It was a wonderful feeling, being that open at last with him. Skulduggery was learning about my family for the first time, about my parents and sister. He'd never been let in that close before. Sure he knew vaguely what was going on if it affected our work, but he'd never heard stories before.

"So your father really threw a man threw a window? I'd have loved to have seen that. You may have even told me at the time, but well, I'll admit I didn't listen at times. I was jealous of your family getting to have the you you become outside of work and I tended to ignore them. I apologize."

"Skulduggery." I said gently, taking his hand. "I took you for granted. It would never have occurred to me in a million years you might wanted to spend more time with me. I was too worried about missing time with them to see how lonely you must have been. Why didn't I just invite you over some time? Dad would have freaked out at first, but he would have dealt with it."

Skulduggery snorted softly. "Because I taught you better, that's why. What do you think your parents would have done if they knew about our cases? Or you working with men nearly forty times your own age? Your father would have torn the Sanctuary apart stone by stone and you know it."

I nodded with a sigh and helped Skulduggery with the dishes. There was a farmhouse sink and it was easy enough to pump water into it. I noted in amusement that there were no leftovers with Skulduggery around. But we'd both eaten several plates of food. I told myself it was the company and clean forest air. That and the weather was cooler there.

Skulduggery seemed to read my mind. "I'm glad you ate well, Valkyrie. I haven't cooked in so long I didn't know if I could manage it. There's a lovely fire pit off the side of the cabin though and it is amazing what you remember if given a chance. I haven't cooked in centuries I haven't cared enough about anyone else to. I love you, Valkyrie Cain. I want you to be my wife." He said, taking me gently into his arms.

"I thought that was a given from the first time I kissed you." I said, drawing him into a gently kiss. "Of course I'll marry you, Skulduggery. You don't know how long I've been waiting for you to ask. I love you so much." I said, happy tears brimming in my eyes.

Skulduggery brushed away the tears gently, then drew me into another kiss and I was happier than I'd been in a very long time. We parted, both of us smiling shyly. There hadn't been a ring involved or Skulduggery on bended knee, but I was all right with that. A short time after he was walking slowly with me through the forest, and we were enjoying the beauty in an easy silence.

I drank in the scents of the trees and the rich loamy soil, listened to the music of the birds and the nearby river and I understood then why my uncle had bought the cabin. I realized Skulduggery was doing the same thing, taking in the scent of the woods with his head tilted slightly back and his eyes closed and I looked at him in utter awe. "That's new." I said and he gave a murmured reply, his eyes still closed.

"Yes, it is. You don't know how good it is to smell and taste again. To feel things with my fingers." He said, reaching out to touch my hair with a gloved hand. Skulduggery bundled me into him suddenly, fiercely. "I'm never letting you go, Valkyrie Cain. Not ever. I love you." I looked up at him both startled and touched.

"I love you too, Skulduggery. Nuit really put a good scare into both of us, didn't he?" I asked gently as Skulduggery cradled my head into his chest.

"Yes, he did. But no more talk of him. I had sweet dreams last night, you know. About you. About asking you to marry me." He said, holding me at arm's length and grinning at me fondly. I smiled at him in return and we walked back to the cabin and fetched our poles and all the needed gear. This took some doing but Skulduggery didn't mind in the least and neither did I.

* * *

Skulduggery was humming to himself as we baited our hooks and cast. "Lovely form, Valkyrie. If we're lucky we'll have some lovely salmon for supper and being the gentleman that I am I'll clean it. Of course if we catch nothing we still have the bait shrimp we could eat." He said, laughter dancing in his eyes.

I made a gagging sound and rolled my eyes. It was wonderful fishing with him. I'd never given Skulduggery any credit for being anything other than a detective or skilled fighter. It had never occurred to me that he was a man who had a side to him he rarely shared with anyone.

Salmon of course are wily creatures and we seemed to be feeding them more than anything when Skulduggery's pole started to bend and his floater almost disappeared into the water. He gave a satisfied grunt and began to struggle with his quarry. I felt a sharp tug as I watched him and nearly lost my own pole.

I fought what felt like a full grown man and wondered if it was a fish I'd hooked. Skulduggery expertly landed his fish, dispatched it quickly and put it in the basket then came to my rescue. "What in God's name did you hook, a boat?" He asked through gritted teeth. We both struggled and at last landed the biggest salmon I'd ever seen. He glared at our approach and snapped his mouth open and closed furiously.

We both exchanged a look and nodded. Skulduggery tenderly eased the hook out and we took him gently back to the water. He was furious with us but none the worse for wear. We watched him swim off then Skulduggery turned to me, pleased. "It will be a salmon dinner indeed. I'll show you how to cook him out of doors over the fire. He needs cleaned so you may want to look away." He said hoisting our dinner out of the basket. I shook my head and watched him clean the fish, dumping the unwanted parts into the river where the other fish would quickly make a meal out of them.

Skulduggery smiled at me. "That's my girl. I'll have to take you hunting some day too. We had to, you know, in my day. Sure there were farms and small cottage gardens but I grew up in the countryside. We had a huge family so hunting was vital for our survival. I loved hunting with my brothers. We had a good time of it." He smiled at the happy memory. "You're doing me a world of good, Valkyrie Cain. You're letting me live again for the first time in centuries and you don't know how much I appreciate that."

"You're doing the same thing for me. After Uncle Gordon died all I cared about was revenge and I promised myself I'd never let anyone in again, never let my guard down with anyone. But I wasn't really living, was I? I could scare the rest of the world away with my anger, but not you." I said and kissed him gently on the cheek. Skulduggery made a soft, pleased sound and escorted me back to the cabin arm in arm.

He was an excellent teacher as always, happy to share his knowledge about the outdoors with me. I was paying rapt attention to my lesson because I felt for some reason that I had to commit that day to memory. That somehow everything would be taken away from me and soon. I looked at Skulduggery and smiled trying to ignore the feeling that we were being watched.

But as the shadows lengthened and night settled in I felt the sensation of Nuit's breath on my neck and could hear his laughter in my mind. I reached to touch my sigil necklace for reassurance, but it was gone. I remembered then feeling it come loose as we fished but thinking I'd retie it later. I reached into my pocket and withdrew the necklace.

I didn't even have it around my neck to tie it when a pair of steely arms clad in black wrapped around me. Craning my neck around I belatedly noticed the fire reflecting in the cabin's windows behind me and looked on in horror to see Nuit's leer of triumph. I didn't even have time to scream for help before he pulled me roughly backwards towards and through the windows and into the world of dreams.

* * *

 **Tsk, tsk. You know those stupid things people do in horror movies? Like not following the simple rule to keep the necklace on? Val should have known better.**


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I still don't own Skulduggery, Dusk, Valkyrie, Darquesse or anyone else you might recognize.

* * *

Nuit had drug me into the dream world into a dank and bitterly cold dungeon dimly lit by smoking torches. I tried going Darquesse on him but he leered at me in triumph, his now rather ugly face revealed by his pushed back hood. "You're mine!" He growled and at his gesture I flew back and smashed into a wall, banging my head so hard I saw stars and bit my tongue, tasting blood.

Iron shackles sprang from the wall and I was bound there, helpless and glaring at my captor. My mind raced. Was it better to taunt him and bully him into attack? If I died would I go instant Darquesse on him? Or did this call for coming on to him? I was still debating when there was the sound of someone in armor approaching fast. I looked past Nuit in time to see Lord Vile striding towards him in an utter rage if his writhing shadows were any indication and started laughing. Nuit was about to get a beat down.

Although he most often used him shadows, Vile seemed to have taken a personal dislike to Nuit and slammed an armoured fist into his face, breaking bones and sending Nuit staggering backwards, his face covered in blood. Nuit regenerated quickly, but the distraction made him forget about me and my bonds disappeared.

I was going to prowl around Nuit to help in the attack but Vile froze me with a look. I nodded and he turned his attention back to Nuit. Lord Vile gestured and his shadows slammed into Nuit, knocking him backwards again, pinning him to the ground. Then they were picking him up and bashing him repeatedly against the stone floor.

Nuit, I noticed, was no longer recovering. Vile lifted the limp body and seemed enraged his quarry was dying on him. At a gesture Nuit slammed into the wall then spun in a complete circle. Vile's shadows sharpened and he attacked in an utter rage, spearing Nuit with such force that his now dead body was pinned to the wall.

Vile marched forward, his arm lengthening into a wicked blade of shadows and decapitated Nuit. He held the rather ugly head in his hands and squeezed until it burst. Seemingly satisfied he dropped the head to the stone floor and turned to me. He seemed amused now, much calmer, content with himself. He held out an armoured hand in a courtly gesture and I went to him, utterly enchanted. "You rescued me! Thank you!" I said and he tilted his head his gaze clearly amused as he drew me to him.

Lord Vile lowered his armoured head to meet mine and I gladly kissed my rescuer, enjoying the icy cold sensation of his armour against my lips. His arms tightened around me and his shadows swelled around us. When they fell I was back in the waking world and an amused Skulduggery stepped back from me. He tilted his skull in amusement and I blushed. "Learned our lesson about not listening to me, did we? Good. Oh, I was well aware you pocketed the necklace. I decided to let this be one of those little life lessons I'm so fond of letting you learn by yourself." His voice was gently amused and I was relieved he wasn't furious with me.

"Fish is ready." He continued as if all the excitement that had just happened hadn't phased him. But he hadn't been rescued by Lord Vile or felt his searing kiss. He caught my expression and chuckled. "You look rather besotted with Lord Vile, young lady. Don't tell me he kisses that well." He teased and I went to sit happily in his lap.

"You kiss a lot better." I admitted and Skulduggery took my invitation, pressing his teeth against my lips gently, but with a clearly loving intent. I sighed and deepened the kiss wrapping my arms around my hero. I never liked the stories where fair maidens needed rescued by knights in shining armour, but I decided I was just fine with being rescued by a skeletal knight in Necromancer's armour.

* * *

After our fish feast Skulduggery with his façade now on again pulled me in close to him and we sat staring into the fire. You're very lucky that wherever my heart goeth so goeth Lord Vile's, Valkyrie. I knew how to enter the dream world because he would and I was him because all of Vile's rage and hate were back in full force."

"I've never seen him punch anyone, I liked that." I said cuddling into Skulduggery and he snorted in amusement.

"He thought you might. But he wanted Nuit to suffer instead of going straight for the kill. Nuit isn't dead, by the way. But he is severely weakened. He'll crawl off somewhere to regenerate. You will of course keep that necklace on if I have to weld it to your neck, agreed?" He asked and I nodded.

"We don't need Dusk, do we?" I asked, finding the idea enchanting.

"Indeed we do not. We'll manage to defeat Nuit between the both of us. And Vile developed a new skill, by the way. That _was_ his real armour. He can apparently call it to him. Interesting, yes?" He asked, preening, his eyes dancing with amusement and I kissed him softly.

"Very interesting. But then he's the most brilliant Necromancer I know so of course he'd figure out a way. Does this mean I get three lovers out of you instead of two?" I asked playfully and Skulduggery laughed.

"You bet it does but only if I get two out of you, my dearest Darquesse." He purred.

"Oh, I think that can be arranged." I said, grinning playfully and I let my darkness come over me before kissing Skulduggery, my shadows dancing around us.

* * *

Skulduggery had another surprise in store for me that night, and this one was a good one. He'd somehow also snuck a portable DVD player into his luggage and charged it with the generator. We laid down on the couch, me reclining into Skulduggery and he started up the film. "House on Haunted Hill" starring Vincent Price started up and I sighed happily.

"I thought you said no horror movies?" I murmured quietly.

"Nonsense. Classic horror like this is just fine. Besides, there's a skeleton in it." He said cheerfully as he wrapped his arms more securely around me. It was wonderful watching the film with him. I was half asleep from his warmth and the warmth of the fire he'd started. Long after the film was over we lay there together, Skulduggery stroking my hair rhythmically, lulling me to sleep.

"I thought I'd lost you for a moment." He said quietly and I looked at him. "When Nuit took you like that, for a fleeting second- I thought you'd choose him." He said quietly, his voice on the verge of tears and I gasped.

"Never! You're the man I'm in love with, Skulduggery. You and only you." I said, shifting so I could lean in and kiss him. Skulduggery responded as he always did with enthusiasm, but infinite tenderness. His hands grasped my arms lightly, then they were touching my hair and caressing me all over.

I ran my fingers through his raven locks, enjoying the shivers the gesture drew from him. I stroked his face, caressing his muscular chest, knowing I had to show him it was him I desired. I had my hands inside his suit jacket when he stopped me laughing gently. "I'm convinced. I know you love me, that I'm the man you choose. You just don't know what it is like to have such a beautiful lover. To know that any man and half the women who see her would gladly take your place. It's a little frightening." He confessed.

"You don't think I feel the same way, Skulduggery? You are an amazingly handsome man, one of the most powerful mages on the planet. You don't think that I don't worry about loosing you? I do, you know. And the bad part is I'd let you go because I love you that much. I'd never deny you your happiness." I said, tears brimming in my eyes.

"Hush." Skulduggery said softly as he drew me into a lingering kiss. "You don't know how good it makes me feel to hear you say you love me that much, Valkyrie. I adore you, you are my reason to live, my entire Universe. Why don't we agree to trust one another, all right?" He asked gently and I nodded happily.

Skulduggery rose then in one smooth motion and took me in his arms to carry me to the bedroom, extinguishing the fire as he went and bringing the candle with a casual gesture. I grinned, loving it when he showed off with his magic.

He smiled tenderly at me and laid me gently on the bed, having pulled back the covers with another gesture. I gave him my most beguiling smile and wrapped my arms around his neck and Skulduggery willingly sank into my embrace propping his weight on his elbows. He kissed me chastely, then rolled off me, am amused grin on his face.

"You ought to kiss Lord Vile more often, Valkyrie." He teased. "You're a lot more affectionate that usual tonight." He purred.

"Because my hero saved me. He was willing to fight for me. I really liked the part where he punched Nuit right in the face but it was all good." I said, unable to keep the stupid grin off my face and Skulduggery smiled in reply. At his gesture the candle went out and I cuddled into him enjoying his arms around me. "Sweet dreams, Skulduggery." I murmured and felt him kiss the top of my head before sleep claimed me.

* * *

I awoke the next morning still wrapped in his arms and stretched lazily, not wanting to leave his warmth. I wanted to lower the façade and kiss the real Skulduggery in the worst possible way, but I could tell from his sleepy smile he was getting used to it. I also had a hunch it protected him from Nuit somehow, but I wasn't sure quite how or why.

"Morning." I said and he rewarded me with a beautiful smile.

"Good morning, Valkyrie. I trust you are rested? Good. I was thinking of taking you camping, there is a lovely tent down in the basement and we needn't go far. Perhaps to the river spot where we fished yesterday? " He asked and I nodded grinning. Skulduggery looked rather pleased with himself and tousled my hair before kissing me chastely.

"A shower for you, my dear, and I'll see to breakfast. Perhaps not quite the same repast as yesterday, but I think you'll be pleased." He murmured and I nodded my agreement and got up. Knowing he'd be changing as I showered somehow comforted me and strangely I had no desire to spy on him. We'd have enough intimacy when we were both ready and I only wanting such gifts from Skulduggery willingly.

I lingered in the shower wondering if that was OK with him, if I was moving fast enough for Skulduggery. He seemed pleased but I knew he'd been married and I imagined he'd had somebody in his heart if not in his bed in the centuries since then. I wondered if I should ask and decided it was none of my business. Yes, he knew about my very brief history such as it was and that nothing had happened. But just demanding to know his seemed cruel and petty not to mention insanely jealous.

Yes, it hurt to think of him with other lovers, and it was scary too to think they might return some day to claim him, but I'd known long ago what I knew at that very moment. Still, even with having him asked to marry me I'd have given him his beloved wife and child back in an instant if I could have. I felt terrible for Skulduggery and I knew he still missed them and loved them dearly. I sighed, thinking life just wasn't fair.

Skulduggery had a much simpler repast ready. Eggs, bacon, oatmeal and coffee with sliced oranges besides. But it still tasted like a feast to me because I knew the man who had prepared it loved me. Still, I couldn't shake the guilt of being with a man I felt in my heart of hearts belonged with another.

I wondered as we ate and Skulduggery looked over at me worriedly if it was such a good idea for us to be lovers. If when all of it was over the kinder thing to do wouldn't be to find a way to bring his wife and child back to him and I resolved inside to do just that. It would kill me and I already felt like I was dying inside, but Skulduggery Pleasant belonged with his family, not with me.

* * *

 **Oh. My. God. Just when you think Val is going to let herself be happy she is letting Skulduggery go. That woman is driving me crazy and I'm the one writing this!**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Ghastly, Tanith, Valkyrie, Dusk, Erskine, or Ghastly. Darquesse gets some upgrades here so if you don't like that you were warned.

* * *

My heart felt like it had been torn into a million pieces, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I had no claim on Skulduggery, and he would forget me in time. I excused myself from the table and walked outside. God, it hurt. I was crying and trying to smile and failing miserably. Nuit had shown me the answer all along. I just had to have the courage to do what I knew was right.

I closed my eyes and massed my shadows, and shadow-walked a far distance from the cabin. I found a small calm lake and looked in, seeking the two I needed. I found them and entered the dream world, the same place I realized now that the dead resided and approached them. A woman so breathtakingly beautiful and a child so angelic looking that I felt like a beast in comparison. I reminded myself that that was _exactly_ why I was letting Skulduggery go.

He needed to be with the woman he truly loved. No words were needed they knew why I was there and they took my hands willingly. Being Darquesse it was easy to take them back, to restore them to life and drop them in front of the cabin. I watched from the shadows as Skulduggery answered her knock, then watched them embrace. The kiss nearly killed me but I was happy for him

I shadow-walked to Gordon's mansion, grabbed a bag and got a cab to the airport. On the way I called Tanith. She'd already known what had happened when an overjoyed Skulduggery called the Sanctuary, raving about the miracle of having his family back.

"Where are you going?" She asked, her voice filled with tears.

"Away. It- It hurts too much to be here. I have to be away. Please don't try to find me." I said and she sadly agreed. It amazed me how easy it was to loose everything, just like that. To loose Skulduggery, his love, our future together. But I didn't care. I knew with a family to defend Vile would simply finish Nuit off if the monster showed his face again. But first Nuit could be of some use to me.

* * *

I had boarded the plane wondering why I was fleeing Ireland to die and I supposed it was fitting. At least I was getting to choose how I died and for what reasons. The world needed protected from Darquesse because once my numbness wore off the rage would set in. I didn't want that. I didn't want to end the world. I only wanted death and solitude.

I cleared customs easily when we landed and once out of sight of mortals I shadow-walked to the nearest forest. I wanted to let go there. Among the cool greenness. In a place where my body wouldn't be found until it was far too late to save me.

I found a still lake and looked into the depths, removing my necklace as I did and letting it fall away. Nuit appeared almost instantly. I didn't fight his arms closing around me, I made no struggle as he carried me to the world of dreams. We appeared near the shop where I'd first met him and I looked at his reflection as he held me. "You can show yourself now, Nuit. I won't fight you." I said in resignation.

There was a shift of some sort and now I could see his arms as well as feel them. "I knew you'd change your mind. I knew you'd be back. I could have told you he'd forget you the instant you did that. Why would you?" I turned to face him with a sigh.

"I had no claim on him, Nuit. He didn't love me, you were right. But then you don't either, but I really don't care about much of anything anymore. Just end it." I said dully and he stared at me in horror. "End it. We both know you'll keep me around only as long as I amuse you, then you'll kill me. You won't get my magic though. I willed that away. There is no more Darquesse. As a matter of fact," I paused to laugh, "I'm dying even now. My mortal coil is dying and there's nothing you or anyone else can do about it."

"How?" He asked, taking me into his arms as I staggered and helping me to the ground. I smiled weakly at him.

"My last magical act was threefold. To come here. To renounce my powers forever and give up being Darquesse. Oh, and to activate your power against your will. You're killing me, Nuit. Only you're killing someone with no power so I imagine you don't even feel it. Don't struggle. Your first instinct on seeing me was to want me dead, you get your wish now." I smiled sadly. I almost liked Nuit now. We were both monsters after all. We both deserved this.

Nuit shook his head frantically. "No, this cannot be! I refuse! I- I give you back your power, I insist!" He looked frantic and I realized with detached amusement as my vision faded to black that he really had loved me. Which is really funny if you think about it. A serial killer with no remorse being forced to kill the only woman he ever loved.

* * *

I thought I would have traveled somewhere after death, to either reward or punishment but there was nowhere else to go so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to come to in what seemed to be Nuit's personal bedchamber. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe there was a place of punishment and this was mine.

Nuit wasn't far away from me, seated on a rather ornate bench padded in red velvet that matched the rest of his lurid colour scheme. The whole room was bombastic and overblown and I wondered how he slept there without nightmares. He was weeping, his whole body wracked with sobs.

I felt pity for him then. He clearly though I was dead or had realized I didn't love him. I got up feeling amazingly rested and went to put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Nuit gasped and took hold of my hand in both of his, keening in his grief. "Don't be sad. As a chosen instrument of death you should feel honoured in a way. Plenty of people wanted me dead, Nuit. Only they'd have butchered the job made it more painful that it needed to be."

He turned to face me and rose, taking me in his arms and I didn't resist. I didn't love him, I felt nothing for him, expect perhaps pity. But I knew what he felt. How terrible it was to love and not be loved. I pushed his hood gently back and he turned away. He wasn't using his powers on me and the sight of his real face made me gasp in shock.

"Now you know. Now you know why I chose to be what I was. To kill the beauty I saw around me, to feed on magic of others as a vampire feasts on blood. Prolonging my pathetic life until I could find something, someone, to live for." It was all very touching. A little too touching. I realized it wasn't so much his actual bedchamber but one of those sets from a certain film that had tried to make a love story out of a musical that had ruined a perfectly good horror novel.

None of this was real. None of it. I realized then that I must still be asleep, that somehow Nuit had come into my dreams, fed me everything up to that point and almost had had me. That made me angry and making me angry made me Darquesse. My hand shot out and I grabbed Nuit by the throat and started to squeeze.

He struggled, snarling. I started punching him in the face repeatedly, even after he shifted form yet again and now sported a vampire's fangs. Skulduggery had said once that decapitation killed most things so I used my sharpened shadows to separate that ugly head from that hideous body.

I awoke with a start and looked over at Skulduggery. He was still sleeping peacefully and I had no desire to waken him. The nightmare had frightened me. I knew it was Nuit doing his level best to divide and conquer and the thought that he might be doing the same to Skulduggery made me shake Skulduggery awake.

Skulduggery blinked groggily at me. "Valkyrie? What on Earth time is it?" He suddenly sat upright looking at me in concern. "What is it? It was Nuit, wasn't it? How is he still getting in, how?" He asked, clearly feeling as helpless as I did. Skulduggery bundled me into his arms, soothing me.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take, Skulduggery. The man won't die." I said, hating the fear in my voice. But I was afraid. Afraid that even then I was trapped in the dream world and would never wake up. "Why is he so obsessed with me? What does he want?" I asked helplessly.

"I don't know, but we're getting packed and returning to the Sanctuary. I know what I said about protecting others but this has gone far enough. We need to go there and find a way to stop him once and for all because killing him in the dreams doesn't work and we see how well him being killed in real life worked." He said with a sigh.

* * *

It only took minutes to pack and hit the road. The headlights seemed to barely pick out a road and with Skulduggery driving through the woods late at night I kept expecting Nuit to jump out at us suddenly. But how did you fight the boogeyman? How did you stop a monster that could get you at any time, any place? I shivered. What frightened me most of all was that neither Lord Vile or Darquesse had even hurt him. If anything he was stronger than ever. I cursed and Skulduggery looked over at me.

"Skulduggery, that's it! That's really how he absorbs power. He was never using the torture. It was the energy his victims put into the struggle he absorbed. He absorbs attacks, they only make him stronger. We have to find a way to send him back to Hell where he belongs without touching him." I said excitedly and Skulduggery nodded.

"Well, you're the resident horror movie expert, how would we do that in a horror movie?"

"Either turn our backs on him in a dream and refuse to believe in him, because he is drawing energy from it or-"

"Or?" He prompted.

"That doesn't always work. After the first film to use it the monster in the series just kept coming back." I admitted.

"Lovely. We'll we're out of the woods at least. Let's stop for some coffee before I fall asleep at the wheel." He said wearily, pulling into a fast food parking lot. We were both jumpy from lack of sleep and I'm fairly sure the fast food worker thought we were crazy, but we had our coffee and were on the road soon enough.

* * *

Hours later we pulled up to the Sanctuary, and when we'd explained the situation, Erskine, drug out of bed himself, looked dismayed. "Why can't you two ever make any enemies that are easy to defeat?" He asked with a sigh. He thought for a moment and looked at me. "Valkyrie, as far as we know he's changed his plans. He seems obsessed with you. That means he's going to come at you no matter where you are. I don't see why the sigils aren't working. Oh that's right, you two made him more powerful with every attack."

"That's enough, Erskine. They didn't know that when they were fighting for survival." Ghastly said, walking into Erskine's office with Tanith close behind. I was hoping he wouldn't have shown up at the Sanctuary but Dusk also walked in. He stared at me for the longest time but said nothing.

"All right, but you two need some sleep. I don't want to alarm the two of you but we still haven't located Nuit's body." Erskine said. His voice sounded slurred and I realized why. He was falling asleep like everyone else in the room. Too late I figured out that Nuit was using me to get to everyone else. I tried to start for the door but fell to my knees. The last thing I saw was Dusk staring at me, his scarred face twisted in a smile of triumph.

* * *

 **Never trust a vampire.**


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Lord Vile, Erskine, Ghastly, Dusk or anyone else you may recognize.

* * *

I came to chained up in the dungeon again and sighed. Nuit stood before me gloating. "Give up and give yourself over to me. You know he loves his wife more than he'll ever love you, I simply showed you the truth." I looked at him and said nothing, remaining passive, not even fighting my despair as it settled in around me. I was giving a grand performance, even if I do say so myself.

"You know, I could never have gotten to you had Dusk not interfered on my behalf. It is a rather long and tedious story, but we're working together now. He happily handed you over to me. You can always trust a vampire to hold a grudge." Nuit said, clearly amused with his own cleverness.

"How did he help?" I asked dully and sensed Nuit's smiling at me from the depths of his hood.

"You haven't guessed? It was easy enough for him to show up at the Sanctuary to 'help'. To pretend he was hunting me. Most amusing. He interfered with your necklace so subtly even that bag of bones you so twistedly desire didn't notice. But come. Enough of this. Just go ahead and admit that he never truly loved you, not really and I'll win."

I nodded sadly. "You're right, he doesn't truly love me. You've shown me that." I said dully, pretending to not fight my despair, letting it wash over me, buying time until he at least freed me from my chains. "Or he loved China more. You forgot about her." I added, letting my tears flow.

Nuit stepped back, clearly alarmed. I wasn't supposed to just give in like this. He was wary though, sensing a trap. "You're- you're just pretending aren't you?" He asked and I let myself nod happily in reply, seeing my allies arrive at last. Nuit followed my gaze, turned to see only three women and laughed. "I am master of this realm!" He sneered, striding towards them. "You think three women are going to defeat me?"

The eldest let her fists do the talking and started hitting him with a series of punches I could tell really hurt. She settled into a steady rhythm and Nuit tried to stumble back in retreat, his face a mask of blood that poured into his eyes from the pounding she was giving him. She broke his nose next, then his jaw. Nuit was not regenerating. He fell to his knees and the youngest woman kicked him in the face while her mother came to free me.

"He didn't get you two right at all." I commented as she freed me and she smiled. "I- I'm sorry about Skulduggery." I said softly as my chains came loose and she sighed.

"Don't you dare feel guilty, Valkyrie Cain. Hundreds of years from now, if you are dead and he fell in love again, would you want him to remain alone because he once loved you?" She asked gently.

"No, of course not." I said horrified at the idea.

Then go back and make him happy, Valkyrie. Marry him. Let him be a man for you. Give him as much happiness for as long as you can. Then when it is you time to make this speech you honestly won't mind." She said, drawing me into a tight hug that I returned with surprise.

We walked back to find Nuit crumpled on the floor. The boxer hoisted him up on her shoulder with a grunt. "Keep an eye on that fool son of mine and don't worry about this one. The dead have ways of taking care of our own." I nodded and she continued. "Had rather hoped he'd end up with you. I've seen you fight." She reached out and ruffled my hair fondly, then the three women faded from view and I awakened in time to see Dusk being slapped into handcuffs by Ghastly. I smiled, wishing he could have seen his mom as well. Dusk moved ever so slightly and Ghastly nailed him with a punch backed up by the air. Dusk crumpled to the ground and Ghastly grinned at me.

"He was resisting arrest. You all saw it." He said playfully and we all laughed.

I tried to rise but my body still felt like lead. Skulduggery came over and helped me up gently. "Falling asleep on the job again, are we? That's it, I'm asking Erskine for a new parter." He teased as he pulled me into a massive hug.

I hugged him back tightly. "Nuit's been taken care of. He made the wrong women angry. I couldn't say anything to you before, and I'm sorry but in some of my good dreams I found allies. I just pushed the thought of them too far back in my mind for Nuit to find it." I said steeping back reluctantly and addressing the room now that an unconscious Dusk had been hauled away by Cleavers.

"What allies?" Erskine asked, clearly at a loss.

Ghastly's mother for one." I said, then bit my lip nervously before forging ahead. "Skulduggery's family for another." Erskine whistled and Skulduggery, once again his true skeletal self titled his head thoughtfully then spoke.

"I always knew they'd like you. Well, well. So the dead do watch over the living, interesting." He murmured. We were both tired so Erskine excused us, but demanded we find rooms in the Sanctuary, not trusting Skulduggery or me to drive when we were that tired. Skulduggery stopped me with a gentle hand on my shoulder and titled his head towards his room.

Smiling happily I followed him and we laid down together, both fully dressed. Skulduggery managed a single chaste kiss and to wrap his arms around me right before sleep took us. Hours later I woke up, feeling his hard bones nestled into me, his skull burrowed into my shoulder and I smiled at him.

I knew it had to be hard on him, being in love again. I knew he had to be feeling all sorts of emotions at the moment. I stroked his bony cheek and his skull tilted up to look at me sleepily. I didn't know when or how I'd started reading his moods on his face, but I could. Bone it might be and unmoving to be sure, but very expressive nonetheless. "Let's take an early retirement." He suggested, grinning at me.

"Mmm. I'd prefer a nice meal instead. My treat. I'll take you anywhere."

"How about home? Our home?" He asked gently and the warmth in his voice made my insides melt. So he'd understood how I felt all along, but of course he did. I chided myself. He was Skulduggery Pleasant and there wasn't anything he couldn't do.

* * *

We had a very simple meal of grilled cheese sandwiches and tea (Ghastly had insisted Skulduggery try tea and he has taken to it like a duck to water) but it was a feast to me. To Skulduggery too if the way he gazed across the tabletop at me was any indication.

"I'm very proud of you, you know. What Nuit did to you all this time was no less than he did to any of his victims. But you were smart and you were brave and you held on. You were also rather sneaky and tricked him. I liked that. Whatever gave you the idea, and please don't say it was a horror movie."

"It wasn't. I can dream lucidly, which means I'm aware I'm dreaming and can control the outcome of a dream. It doesn't sound useful but it can be. The good dreams came when I took myself to a part of the dreamer's world where I could find allies. I did it by accident but I still found them. Or they found me."

He nodded, satisfied. "Then you'll have to teach me. It sounds like a very useful skill. Valkyrie, I do not wish to alarm you, but Vile has been stirring ever since the night you saw him. He wants out. Not to go on a rampage, but to be with you. He wants a woman who won't flee from him and I think he was rather taken by the way you kissed him." Skulduggery bit the lip of his façade clearly expecting rejection.

"Skulduggery, I meant it when I said I loved him. He _is_ you after all. Just so he knows to be careful. I don't want him hurt or captured and I'm thinking that under the right circumstances even he could be." Skulduggery smiled and nodded in response. He rose and led me away from the kitchen, our meal finished to go sit in the living room. Well, one of them.

We sat down on the couch and he wrapped his arms around me. "You know, you've had every excuse in the book to walk away from me. Every significant birthday, every time a case came up, all the young men that must have tempted you. But you didn't. I'll admit I felt rather old and useless when you'd look at a young man, I still do."

"Skulduggery! It's you I love." I protested before I realized he was baiting me and he chuckled softly. I looked at him, annoyed, but didn't resist when he leaned in for a kiss, remembering all the advice I'd been given to allow him to live as a man once more. Skulduggery's lips were soft and incredibly sweet, and we were taking our time.

One of his gloved hands settled on my waist and the other played with my hair as Skulduggery broke off the kiss to trail gentle kisses up and down my neck, putting a few playful nips in between. I giggled and let him, then drew him up gently so I could return his affections, my hands roaming restlessly. Skulduggery sighed happily and pulled back. "That was wonderful, as you well know. Though maybe we can try again later, without the façade?" He asked hopefully and I nodded.

"You know I love you both ways. Speaking of love when did you realize-"

"A while ago, and let's leave it at that, shall we? I honestly expected to loose you to so many men over the years. But I never mentioned how I felt because if you did stay I wanted it to be your free choice. Not out of pity for-" He reached up and tapped the symbols and the façade flowed away, "an old skeleton." I heard the grin in his voice but I still happily pulled him into a kiss.

I knew our time together was special. Not just because we were in love, but because we'd never have this innocence again. I gave into the wonderful sensation of his teeth against my lips, let my hands travel up and down his ribs, feeling him shiver in delight. I pulled back to gaze at him happily. "You know, I'm wondering when you and I are going to be back to trading insults and hitting one another." I said, amused.

"You _want_ to trade insults and hit each other?" Skulduggery asked in surprise, his skeletal features a mask of shock.

"No, but I mean- We normally fight on a case and you insult me, than I insult you. Then you have a royal sulk-"

"I do not sulk." Skulduggery said, crossing his arms and sulking.

"But I love it when you sulk. You're so cute when you so it." I said and he laughed his bad mood instantly forgotten.

"I just haven't felt like annoying you. Teasing, yes, bot not annoying. Half of that was so you wouldn't notice how I felt. Very clever of me, wasn't it?" He asked proudly. I wanted to snap that it was very annoying but I understood what he meant. There be time for trading insults like we normally did later.

"It was very clever, I didn't suspect a thing." I said. "But then you are the Skeleton Detective. Speaking of which Ghastly gave me a case file. Some mages got stranded in the tropics on an island filled with pirates. Skeleton pirates." Skuldugery sat up straight, clearly keen to be on his way already.

"And you waited until _now_ to tell me? I have to read the file, then we must be off. I suppose they are very dangerous and no one but us can handle them. Is there a mystery involved?"

"Mystery, and treasure and romance. I told Ghastly we'd be delighted to take it. He's making you dashing new clothes so you can blend in and everything. I thought Ghastly was putting me on, but our case files are in the office you set up for us." We rose as one and both laughed.

Skulduggery soon had his copy of the case file and was reading avidly, insisting I do the same. "You'll need a disguise as well. Interesting to see these skeleton pirates enjoy the company of living brides. So you shall need an engagement ring as well, of course." He titled his head and motioned me to him as he opened his desk drawer and withdrew a ring box.

He slipped the ring on and I stared down at it in utter wonder. The silver skull seemed to stare back up at me, a definite smug expression on the face. I smiled and went to Skulduggery willingly as he took me in his arms and kissed me.

* * *

 **So there you have it! I didn't expect it to end the Nuit case so soon but the adventure continues in Skeleton Cove.**


	10. Skeleton Cove

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery or Valkyrie. This story follows Nuit, so Val is still in her 20s.

* * *

Skulduggery Pleasant stepped into the room and I gasped in utter awe. "Impressive, aren't I?" He asked with a rather smug grin. He was dressed in the clothes for our mission to Skeleton Cove and the effect was stunning. He was wearing a pirate outfit all in black and it truly suited him. With the frame he wore collapsed I wasn't sure how his clothes were even staying on, but I didn't much care.

I let my gaze drift up from the high black boots that had just the right amount of slouch to the black trousers that accentuated every bone in his legs. He wore a black billowing pirate shirt on top of this open at the neck to expose his sternum and part of his ribs. Black leather gloves that flared like gauntlets completed the outfit and a sword hung easily from his hips. If it wouldn't have been for the brace of wicked looking flintlock pistols tucked into a length of fabric at his waist he'd have looked like the skeletal version of the Dread Pirate Roberts. "Good Lord." I breathed. "If you walk around the ship looking like that all the women will be falling in love with you." I said and he chuckled, pleased with himself.

I went to him happily for our now ritual early morning kiss, enjoying the feeling of the empty spaces every bit as much as I enjoyed his bones. Skulduggery was tender and chaste as always, keeping his teeth firmly closed. He was obsessed with taking things slow and I honestly didn't mind though I had my doubts as to whether the pirates would appreciate his reasoning.

He was cradling my head into his chest, one gloved hand stroking my hair as the other rested on my hip. I wrapped my arms around his ribs, knowing he'd appreciate that more than me going for his hollow waist. After a moment we parted and Skulduggery titled his head at me, his expression pleased. "The teleporter will be here in a few minutes. He'll take us to the coast where a small rowboat will be waiting. Rowing out to Skeleton Cove is the safest approach despite the dangerous waters and sharks. Skeleton pirates tend to be trigger happy souls if you frighten them. I just need a promise from you."

"What's that?" I asked.

"Try and resist Louis Phillipe's charms. The capitan is married and it is his bride we need to find as you well know. But if charm were a deadly weapon..." He shrugged helplessly as he trailed off and I smiled.

"So long as you aren't staring at the heaving bosom of some pirate's wench we'll do just fine. Speaking of which, how come I didn't get new clothes?" I asked with a frown.

"Because a pirate's woman or man is to look as they did when said pirate wooed them and captured their heart. Remember we also have to find the treasure, which contrary to popular belief pirates never buried but spent so I'm amazed they amassed any on the island."

"Sweetheart gifts, you know that. You read the file. This sounds like a dream vacation and not a case. All those cute and cuddly skeleton pirates-" Skulduggery cut me off with an annoyed glare.

"Skeletons are _not_ cute and cuddly." He huffed and I tried really hard not to laugh in response. Truly, I tried.

* * *

It didn't take long for us to be teleported to the coast and I stared at the the rowboat we'd been provided. It had flaking white paint, wood that had weathered to a dull grey and I had my doubts as to whether or not it was seaworthy as Skulduggery helped me in and shoved off the dock. "Tell me again why we just aren't flying over?" I asked and he sighed.

"Because Skeleton Cove is crawling with trigger happy skeleton pirates who scare rather easily. As you well know from the case file it is a ghost island. They won't be found unless they want to, Valkyrie." He manned the oars easily, not even pausing when we entered a fog bank so thick that I could barely see my hand in front of my face. I was immediately drenched but noticed Skulduggery had managed to stay dry by manipulating the air around him. I glared at him as I dried myself up and put up my own shield and he merely grinned in reply.

"I can't believe you knew about a ghost island with skeleton pirates and never told me." I grumbled.

"I know a lot of things I've never told you, Valkyrie." Skulduggery said cheerfully. "Besides skeleton pirates aren't as interesting or dashing as me."

"Yer forgettin' humble, Skulduggery. Ya were always humble, ya were." Said an amused voice out of the fog. I looked in the direction of the voice as the fog cleared and beheld a skeleton pirate standing on a weathered dock. He was dressed almost exactly like Blackbeard, complete with the heavy boots, great coat and fancy plumed hat. "I be welcomin' ya to Skeleton Cove, Valkyrie Cain. I be Capitan Jack Skull and I'll be defendin' yer virtue from the scallywags and ne'erdowells of the island. Aye." He said, helping me up onto the dock.

Skulduggery snorted as he tied off the boat. "Valkyrie's seen enough pirate movies as it is, Jack. She doesn't need the hear you mangle the English language." He turned to me. "Pirates spoke like everyone else in their day, despite the performance Jack is putting on."

"Don't be besmirchin' me English accent, Skulduggery." Jack growled, but it was clear to see that the two were old friends. Jack drew Skulduggery into a quick hug of greeting, then turned and bowed to me, doffing his hat with a flourish, his skull gleaming in the early morning sunlight. "I be welcomin' ya both to Skeleton Cove." He said gesturing inland. I gasped in utter awe and heard Jack chuckle in delight.

The island was massive and seemingly tropical. Massive galleons and all other sorts of ships were tied in at docks, the crews getting ready to sail. But just as many were on their sides on the beaches, perched on hills, or half buried in the jungles or the sides of mountains. Jack handed me his spyglass and I took in the skeleton crews manning each ship with a whistle of appreciation. Jack chuckled again, clearly pleased with how impressed I was.

He led the way island, turning to talk to me. "It was good of ya to come on such short notice. We'd been hopin' to see Skulduggery again. Bet he didn't tell ya this, but that old bag of bones was the fiercest skeleton pirate to rule the seven seas. Where do ya think he got his name?" He said, fondness in his voice.

I looked at Skulduggery. "You were a pirate and never told me?" I hissed.

He shrugged. "I'm sure I told you sometime and you just forgot. But I forgive you." Jack chuckled.

"Didn't tell ya he was capitan of his own ship either, did he?" He asked, turning to me with a grin. I didn't say anything to that, wondering if both men were making fun of me. Skulduggery a pirate? Surely he would have said something.

But as soon as the pirates saw him they greeted him fondly and with way too much familiarity for it to be put on. They were respectful and courteous to me, mostly I think out of fear of him. A skeleton pirate dressed in ragged clothes ran forward. "Yer coat and hat, Capitan." He said, handing Skulduggery a black great coat which he slipped on and a black plumed hat that he put on at a rakish angle. Seeing him dressed like that made me fall in love with him all over again.

Skulduggery seemed to stand straighter, to be in unquestioned command of the skeletons surrounding him and in short order we were lead to the galleon where Louis Phillipe lived. I could see why Skulduggery had warned me to resist his charms. He was ever inch the brocade, silk and finery covered pirate of his era, clearly a gentleman turned privateer. Louis Phillipe even wore the wig popular in his era and the long curls only accentuated his stunning skeletal good looks. Skulduggery caught me staring and glared at me.

Louis Phillipe finished scratching something onto a parchment roll with a quill dipped in ink, then dusted the scroll with a powder to set the ink and set it aside. He looked up to us with a smile then stood, adding a fancy white plumed hat to his capitan's outfit of white velvet. I smiled in return, already charmed. "Ah, I knew I could count on you to return to us in our time of need, Skulduggery." He said, giving a slight bow which Skulduggery returned, saying nothing. Louis Phillipe came forward and took my hand in his skeletal one, pressing his teeth to my fingers and drawing a blush from me. "Enchanté." He purred.

Louis Phillipe returned to his desk, digging an ornate suff box out of his jacket. He offered it to Skulduggery who politely declined, then took some of the snuff for himself and I wondered if his skull wasn't packed with it. He turned to me sadly. "Me beloved Angélique has been abducted. We have searched the entire island, she is missing. Who would do such a thing, to take my most precious treasure away?"

"Did any of the pirates go missing at the same time?" I asked gently and he stiffened.

"Oui." He said, refusing to meet my gaze.

"Who was it, Louis Phillipe?" Skulduggery asked. Louis Phillipe looked out the small paned windows of his quarters for the longest time before answering.

"The Black Death." He said and I barely suppressed my laugher.

"There's a skeleton pirate who calls himself The Black Death?" I asked amused and both men turned to me in horror.

"I know it sounds amusing to you, Valkyrie. But that's what others call him. No one knows his Taken name or if he ever had one but he was one of the most powerful Necromancers the world has ever seen. He was the type of pirate who burned entire costal villages to the ground and attacked mortal and magical sailors alike. The Black Death got his name for his use of both Necromancy and what you would call plague magic on his victims. He massacred people for the _fun_ of it." Skulduggery said sternly.

"Oh."

"Oh indeed. If Angélique is in his clutches we don't have much time. She will make his twelfth bride, I think."

"Unlucky thirteen, actually." Louis Phillipe said with a miserable shiver. "Some say he is a Bluebeard and has killed them all, some say he has kept them alive to use in an act of Necromancy so terrible that his ship would be unstoppable." He turned to me. "Imagine a ghost ship that could become solid enough to attack. He'd destroy entire costal villages and any ship he met. The ship would also be immune to even the most powerful modern weapons. The man's hatred for the living is legendary. Oh, God, Angélique." He buried his skull in his hands and I felt sorry for him. He clearly loved his wife even if he was flirtatious.

"We'll get her back, don't you worry." Skulduggery soothed and they fell to discussing crews and when to cast off, Skulduggery making it clear I was on his crew. Jack appeared and beckoned to me and Skulduggery nodded for me to follow him.

Jack smiled when we got outside of the capitan's quarters. "Thought ya might like to be spared them two jawin' fer a few hours. Besides it's seven bells to feedin' time fer the crews of the island and we'd like to welcome ya proper like. I was funnin' before, yer safe on the island, missus. Wouldn't nobody be touchin' ya with ya belongin' to Skulduggery."

I nodded, deciding it wasn't the time to strike a blow for women's liberation. Skulduggery had already warned me that the pirates viewed their women as possessions to fight over and although they'd like my fighting spirit just fine, I had to let the blatant sexism be if I wanted them to accept me.

* * *

The ship's mess was filled with skeleton pirates and their living women. Men of all ranks and countries sat with their sweethearts and brides, but it was easy enough for me to be seated along with Jack. Over the shouting, singing, music and general chaos the women greeted me. Some looked highborn, some looked like they had plied their trade by night but they were all friendly as were the pirates.

A steaming plate of something or other that looked to be fried seafood was put in front of me and I ate with the others relieved that I was served coffee instead of the grog the crew was knocking back in vast quantities. I watched the happy chaos and wondered if any of these skeletons would be serving on our crew.

* * *

 **Well! Skeleton pirates and Skulduggery with a history of piracy. Think the Dead Men. Except on water. With skeleton pirates. Oh, the golden age of piracy ran from the mid 1600s to early 1700s so Skulduggery is the right age.**


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I don't own, Skulduggery, Valkyrie or Saracen.

* * *

I had a million questions I wanted to ask Skulduggery as we set sail with his chosen crew, but I didn't ask a single one. In a way I felt betrayed. There was so much about him I never found out until it could endanger me and that didn't seem fair. I tried not to think about it as I was assigned to the galley to help the ship's cook. I knew Skulduggery had sent me there for safekeeping and I didn't like it one bit, except for Jolly.

Jolly was the ship's cook and a wealth of information on the skeleton pirates. "Why, missus, the things I've seen sailin' on these ghosts ships would've turned my hair pure white if I had any. The sea monsters alone! Luckily as you've no doubt noticed with the Capt'n we's pretty hard to kill. It's good to have him back though, make no bones about it." He grinned at me and I laughed.

We were making stew for the men. Jolly explained the skeleton pirates as we worked. "We be the good kind o' pirates. Well, there really be no good among us, but we ain't the kind as would sail with the likes o' The Black Death. Thems monsters and cutthroats, they are." He spat in distaste and crossed himself and I stared at him.

"How did you spit?" I asked feeling a combination of awe, revulsion and sheer relief he'd aimed at the floor.

"So long as we are on a ghost ship or Skeleton Cove we can do as we like. Eatin' and drinkin' and seein' after the ladies. In a fashion, in a fashion!" He hastened on to assure me and I smiled at his blush. Most pirates, well, a _lot_ , were given to wenching just like most men were given to dating and a good time. But Jolly was a different sort of pirate, he respected women and treated them with dignity. Another reason Skulduggery had put me with him.

We finished prepping the stew and were soon serving the crew, all of which must have been warned not to make eye contact with me. I sighed, feeling lonely. I was to bunk with Jolly near the galley and I was fine with that. He was a fierce fighter and still a skilled Elemental. But I missed Skulduggery and it was clear he was keeping me out of the action.

That made me three kinds of angry, but I knew better that to roam the ship alone. Skulduggery had plenty of enemies and it would be just like a pirate to kill me for revenge. Still, it hurt knowing it would be the capitans of the three ships, Skulduggery, Jack Skull and Louis Phillipe that would lead the crews into battle with The Black Death. I was tucked away in safety. Of course I'd seen enough Johnny Depp movies to know that meant I was in great danger.

I'd be a fine prize, ransom, or just as easily killed with a cannonball and I wondered why I was even on the ship. Jolly noticed and he consoled me as we returned to the galley to rest a bit and eat our own meal. "You'll be seein' action, everyone on the Capt'n's crew always fights, don't you fret none."

I nodded. I felt my place was sleeping at Skulduggery's side and I was uneasy. Did he have memories of too many other living women in that bed?

* * *

Jolly and I were strolling the deck that night, his bones and striped red and white shirt glowing in the moonlight. Skulduggery walked towards us, passing us with a curt nod and I felt my temper break. If that engagement ring hadn't been keeping the other pirates at bay it would have went into the sea and Skulduggery along with it. He turned and looked at me, his eyesockets seeming to gleam with amusement. "My word, you're beautiful when you're angry. A late dinner with the Capitan then?" Jolly chuckled and scampered off to make something and Skulduggery led the way to his quarters.

"I'm sorry for doing things the long way around, Valkyrie. But the men trust Jolly. Since you passed his test they'll trust you now. You also showed you'll work hard and obey orders no matter how much you hate them. All good marks with the crew, they'll respect you now."

"Instead of just seeing a kept woman?" I asked and he nodded.

"Remember they are well aware of the outside world and you're a living legend to them. To see that you'd work with the rest of them and not assume you ruled them because of your wealth or mansion- You have no idea what that means to men born into poverty at a time when they were never allowed to rise above their station." There was emotion in his voice and I looked at him.

"But your family had a crest-" Skulduggery waved a gloved hand carelessly.

"A crest, yes. But money? No. We never suffered and I suppose having a home made us very rich compared to some of the poor souls on this ship, but I know what it feels like, to be a lesser." I stared at him, aghast.

Before I could tell him to never see himself as less than me he motioned me to look around the quarters. I gazed at his crest on one wall and looked at it in awe. "You've reclaimed it, then?" I asked and he nodded.

"I'll never make up for what I did in the war of course, but well, I'll be as good a man as possible to you and that counts for something. Thanks for not throwing me overboard by the way, I know you wanted to." He teased and held his arms out for a hug. I went to him happily.

"I did." I admitted. "It hurt to think you'd be trying to protect me and forgetting I'm your partner. I know how dangerous this is. I really do. We'd be stupid to think The Black Death won't be awaiting us. It might not matter, but as I was bundled on board late at night I don't even know what your ship is called."

" _Our_ ship. She is called _The Revenge_. Jack Skull has the _Dead Reckoning_ and Louis Phillipe commands the _La Belle Femme_ or _The Beautiful Woman_."

"Of course he does, he's like Saracen, only more so."

"Which is why you weren't allowed near his ship. It wouldn't be beyond him to seduce you just to have a romance to distract him."

"But we're looking for his wife!" I protested.

"He _is_ a pirate, Valkyrie. You'd do well to remember that." Skulduggery said, clearly amused.

"Speaking of pirates, how did you ever-"

"Become one? There's always been a need for people like the Dead Men, Valkyrie. And the Sanctuary had it's own renegades to fend off attack by sea and do other acts of piracy. It was no more obvious than a mage driving a car now, of course. We were the good guys, taking the fight to The Black Death at sea and to any other enemies of the Sanctuary."

"I see- So everyone knew about this and never thought to tell me?"

"I didn't want you told. The sea battles were no better than some of the missions the Dead Men fought. Distasteful is a word that comes to mind but they had to be done." Skulduggery said quietly. There was a knock at the door and Jolly entered bearing a covered silver platter. He set it on Skulduggery's desk and withdrew smiling.

Skulduggery motioned to the desk and we feasted, then he smiled at me. "Coffee?" He asked, and at my nod he led me to a panel in the wall. He pressed it and part of the wall slid away revealing a computer clearly tracking the ship's progress, a modern coffee maker and even a microwave. Skulduggery got water from a small sink and put it on for coffee.

"Most pirates have adapted with the times. Jolly of course refuses to update the galley and as long as the men are happy I'm fine with it. Now then, since you've watched so many pirate movies tell me what you know about them. This should be amusing." He said, folding his arms and grinning at me.

"Well, some worked for governments and were privateering under governmental protection but many didn't. They turned to piracy to escape Navies where men were often flogged and keelhauled for minor infractions. A pirate capitan had to be chosen by his crew and could be removed from his capitancy at any time by the crew. Pirates, more or less had the first real democracy of any kind." The look of shock on Skulduggery's skeletal features was priceless.

"How did you? You cheated!" Skulduggery accused.

"I can _read_ , Skulduggery." I said, amused and he chuckled then held his arms out. I went to him happily, reveling in the feeling of his teeth on my lips as he pressed eagerly forward. I shivered slightly as his gloved hands stated to roam. There was a pause, two soft sounds of his gloves hitting the floor, then his hands were back on me the bones feeling wonderful through my clothing.

I returned the kiss just as eagerly, my hands skimming his billowing shirt, treasuring the feeling of each and every rib, skimming briefly to the open area to drift across bare bone. This startled Skulduggery into opening his mouth to gasp, and I eagerly invaded the now open territory. Skulduggery pulled back all too soon, chuckling. "Coffee first, then we can get back to exploring." He said wickedly. I accepted me coffee with thanks, anticipation of what happened after dancing in my belly. Was he willing to go further than usual? Would we be lovers in every sense of the word now? Skulduggery watched me as he drank and I knew he was waiting for me to ask the obvious since he was drinking as a skeleton. I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, where does the coffee go when you drink?" Skulduggery was about to answer when there an explosion that rocked the ship and we could hear the pirates on deck starting to scream. Skulduggery cursed and we both rushed on deck. The mast was in flames and the crew was struggling to put out with their magic as another part of the crew tended to a gaping hole in the railing.

The was a deafening roar and a scaly black beast rose up out of the moonlit sea. A sea dragon! But it couldn't be possible. The beast opened a maw filled with teeth bigger than daggers and more flames consumed the mast, catching one crew member as well. He screamed then dropped to the deck, his bones horribly burnt, then lay still. Skulduggery raised his hands and gestured towards the dragon, weaving them back and forth, manipulating the sea to first encase it in water, then to freeze the water. The dragon screamed in fury and tried to free itself with flames but to no avail. The ice soon overwhelmed it and it slipped beneath the waves, frozen and dead.

I hurried to the fallen skeleton and he turned his skull to look at me weakly. I helped him up and saw him to the infirmary where the ship's doctor, a skeleton in rather opulent clothing saw to his injuries. I stayed with the pirate, watching as the doctor put on salve, or at least tried to. It clearly hurt to be touched, and the skeleton pirate was doing all he could to avoid the salve.

I went to him. "What's your name?" I asked.

"Sunny Jim, missus."

"Well, Jim, I can call you Jim, right? OK, I need you to let the doctor put the salve on, Jim. I know it hurts, I've been burned before."

"Aye, missus." After that he stayed still even though I knew he was in considerable pain. At last he passed out and I helped another crew member carry him to his berth when his treatment was finished. He looked so small and defenseless I hated to leave him, but his friend told me he'd watch over him. I nodded and went to find Skulduggery assessing the damages.

"They're a total loss, aren't they?" I asked and he nodded, staring up at the charred ruins.

"No matter, come into the the bridge." He said airily as he removed a small device from his pocket and pressed it. The ruined mast rose up as a modern bridge rose from below decks and I whistled in appreciation. I'd just been below deck. There was no room for it there, yet up it rose and we entered. Skulduggery led me over to a control panel and set about putting us under way, powerful engines starting to thrum.

We left the ship in command of another sailor, well, pirate, and returned to our quarters and now cold coffee. Skulduggery grinned at me. "Now then, where were we?" He asked with a grin, wrapping me into his arms and a searing kiss. I happily complied, but could only wonder what other dangers awaited us.

* * *

 **Wheee, sea dragons! OK I don't recall too many dragons in the SP novels, but they are always on all maps. "Here be dragons' rooooar!**


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Ghastly, the Dead Men. Lord Vile, Draquesse or Erskine. Jolly, The Black Death, Louis Phillipe and Black Flagg are all my OCs though.

* * *

The next day since we were underway with modern engines the pirates had time to teach me how to fight with cutlasses, use a dagger, and all other sorts of useful skills. Skulduggery watched from the bridge fondly as Jolly and I squared off, our cutlasses flashing in the early morning sun. Then it was flintlock pistol training which was harder since they were almost impossible for me to cock one-handed.

But I learned how to load them and how to shoot. By noon the pirates seemed satisfied with weapons training and turned to their various magical disciplines, one after another sparring with me. Luckily Jolly announced it was time to eat, and I was given fond pats and head rubs as the skeletons went off to eat. I was eating with Skulduggery in our quarters and I welcomed the hot shower and sitting down to a meal with him.

"I'm proud of you, Valkyrie. You passed your endurance test with flying colors. I know you were ready to drop to the deck and your whole body must ache right now, but the men care about you and well-"

"They're trying to turn me pirate?" I asked and he nodded.

"Lunch with me, then you get lessons in lock picking, map reading, using a sextant and compass and whatever other archaic knowledge they deem useful. Even if you know something please do me a favour and pretend to be learning. They like you, they accept you, Valkyrie." I nodded then looked at him.

"Skulduggery, this will sound stupid, but I felt like I was being watched today. And not by you or the men, either."

"You were. From off the starboard bow. There are strange creatures in the waters. An each uisce was watching you very closely. He seemed quite taken by you. Handsome devil."

"That means something terrible in Irish, doesn't it?" I asked and Skulduggery sighed and rubbed his skull with his gloved hands.

"Gaeilge. And he is a rather nasty creature. Had he lured you in the sea with him he'd have torn you apart and eaten you, except for your liver. You know being Irish and magical you should know this." He said sighing again. "But he or rather it, is a shapeshifter. Usually appearing as a horse or a handsome man. It lures the victims into the water and you know the rest."

"Why didn't you tell me he was there?" I protested.

"Because one look and you'd have dove straight off the ship. Luckily the men are dead or he'd have taken one of them instead. I think Jolly was set to harpoon him and make each uisce jelly for the crew, only we don't have harpoons so we were spared that."

"Make what?" I asked dumbfounded and Skulduggery explained that a dead each uisce more or less turned into jelly. "That makes twice you've saved me from dangerous men on this case, thank you." I said and Skulduggery smiled as he rose to greet Jolly who brought our lunch in.

"I was just telling Valkyrie we missed out on each uisce jelly. Pity." He said and Jolly laughed.

"Gave me the chills the way he was lookin' at her, Sir. Just gave me the chills. Ain't right, wantin' to eat her like that. Just ain't right." He muttered as he left. We settled into lunch and I was rather relieved that Skulduggery hadn't activated the full body façade once during the entire mission. He was darkly handsome in it, but that was the thing. It was like a suit he wore and not really him.

"You're thinking about the façade, aren't you?" Skulduggery asked and I sighed and nodded. "I thought so. Don't worry. I won't activate it again unless I need to." He said tartly.

"Skulduggery, you know if it makes you happy I'm fine with it and I told you already I love you any way you choose to be. Speaking of choosing, why didn't Lord Vile just go after The Black Death?"

"For the same reason Darquesse won't. He is holding Louis Phillipe's wife captive and he wouldn't hesitate to kill her if we didn't walk or rather sail straight into his trap."

"Wait, we're _what_?"

"I've no doubt he plans to use her in some sort of ritual, but she'll be kept alive until he can capture the three capitans going to meet him."

"Wait, you plan on getting _captured_?" I asked angrily and he nodded.

"Of course I do, my most loyal combat accessory. We all do and our crews know to let it happen. Be brave."

"Oh Lord, that means you have a rubbish plan." I said with a sigh.

* * *

As I went through more lessons after lunch I thought about Skulduggery. I had hoped he'd be so happy being with the skeleton pirates that he'd forget all about the stupid façade, but he didn't. He was holding using it back for some reason and I knew it wasn't for the crew's benefit. They might have been startled, and it turned out they did startle easily, but they would have accepted it.

Finished with my lessons I joined him on the bridge and he eyed me carefully but said nothing. We knew each other so well he knew what I'd been thinking and I knew he'd been thinking of the same thing. We left the bridge together and having some time alone together before dinner sounded heavenly.

Skulduggery gestured after we'd entered and the door locked itself and the windows were covered by heavy curtains. Our quarters were rather opulent and I wondered if it was by choice or Skulduggery was maintaining appearances. As the cabin darkened the lanterns and covered candles lit themselves, and I watched with fascination. I turned to look at Skulduggery and he was grinning devilishly at me, his façade activated. His grin got only broader and more devilish as I took in the transformation as he stood.

His black trousers were skin tight now, and the open shirt revealed his heavily muscled chest. His curly black hair flowed long and free down his back and his starling blue eyes glinted in the light of the lanterns. He held out a gloved hand to me and I went to him, well aware of how stupid the grin on my face had to look. I had to admit it, he was hot. And at the sensation of his warm skin, well warm façade, I felt giddy.

Skulduggery looked at me as he took me into his arms. "I had Ghastly make all the necessary adjustments to my clothing. I take it you approve?" He asked in a beguiling whisper before his lips met mine. I think I managed to sigh happily in answer I'm really not sure because his hands were distracting me as they roamed restlessly.

I returned the favour, my fingers feeling like they'd been hit with an electrical charge when I touched his bare chest. I still would have rather have been touching bare bones instead but the façade was just fine with me if that was what Skulduggery wanted. He picked me up easily, his eyes gleaming as he carried me over to the bed. Skulduggery laid me down tenderly and grinned at me, then was pulling back, attending to bringing us both coffee. "You're fun to tease." He murmured handing me a cup. "I have no intent of ravishing you like one of those ridiculous romance novels women are always reading." He said, rolling his eyes in utter disgust.

"I don't read those kind of novels so I'll take your word for it." I said and he looked at me happily.

"That's right, I taught you better. You're the kind of girl who reads, uh, who reads-" He snapped his fingers, feigning thoughtfulness. Then he turned and winked at me. "Who at least reads the cable pop up menu." He said sweetly, earning a punch in the arm. "Ow!" He whined. "Skeleton abuse."

I snorted. "More like hot guy who wears his trousers way too tight abuse."

"Oh, so you noticed, did you? Maybe I shall ravish you after all." He teased, laughing at his own joke and I smiled at him fondly. "I actually do have a plan this time and a good one, so no matter what happens you and the crew have orders to let me be taken. We are all surrendering so The Black Death hopefully suspects nothing. I love you, Valkyrie, and I didn't bring you here just to watch me die, all right?" He asked, his handsome features serious. I nodded then looked at him.

"I trust you, mainly because the men do. They've been in worse spots with you before, right?" I asked hopefully.

"No, actually. This is pretty much the worse thing we've ever faced. The worst thing about The Black Death's rampage would not be the death and destruction or even the plagues he'd set loose on people. You know the worst thing."

"Magic would be exposed and with such a prime example of how bad we can be-" I trailed off into stunned silence.

"Exactly. So it just isn't the maiden fair we are rescuing, but ourselves. If something goes wrong, truly wrong, I want Darquesse to act. But not before I've failed. Trust me, all right?" He held me with his gaze and I nodded. We'd been through too much together as best friends and partners for me not to. Skulduggery had protected me for years, sheltered me from those hunting Darquesse until he'd won over enough people for me to step from the shadows in safety.

The only reason I was still safe was because people feared his wrath or that of the Grand Mage, Erskine Ravel. Both men could be ruthless and so could my brothers in arms, the Dead Men. And as the predictions of me ending the world had been proved to be lies designed to make me end the world most people left me in peace.

Still I wondered if Skulduggery understood what I did. That despite calling ourselves mages and the rest of the world mortals that I could die as easily as anyone else if taken by surprise or if my powers were bound and I was then attacked. I might have qualified as the super weapon that kept everyone else out of Ireland's back yard, but I wasn't a god. I shook off my dark thoughts and looked at him. "More coffee?" I asked and he nodded then gestured bringing the pot to us.

"I could have gotten up" I said but he shook his head.

"I know you hate it when I tell you this, but I won't be here forever, Valkyrie. Let me indulge us both while I can." He said softly and I nodded accepting the steaming brew. Things were serious then. Skulduggery only talked about dying when he though there was a good chance he would. This was his clumsy attempt to prepare me.

The ship's bells rang shortly after and we finished our coffee then joined the other pirates for dinner. Skulduggery didn't believe in a capitan's table and so I got to sit with my shipmates and teachers of the day. One, a skeleton with one eye socket nodded approvingly at me as I sat. "Ye did well with yer powder and shots, missus. But tomorrow we be switchin' to the blunderbuss and dragon. That be the shorter blunderbuss, aye." I nodded. Black Flagg was a good teacher in weapons and he was right. There was no harm in learning old weapons in case magic or modern weapons failed.

He was a dark and brooding skeleton and he scared the others because of his utter savagery in fights. Many of the pirates felt he was a confederate or spy for The Black Death and I wondered if they weren't right. There was a dangerous amount of anger coiled inside of Black Flagg more so than even Lord Vile had displayed in our battles and I wondered if hiring him on had been part of Skulduggery wandering into a trap.

Balck Flagg suddenly rose and withdrew his firearm aiming straight at my head, I ducked as the the gun roared with fire and smoke, blowing out the porthole behind me and I heard a scream and splash as I turned to survey the damage. "Each uisce." Flagg said, returning calmly to his meal.

I nodded not daring to say anything. Like many of the pirates he saw being thanked as a sign of weakness and as Black Flagg was the scariest man on the ship I didn't want to show him fear but I think somehow he knew anyway. I wondered uneasily why he hadn't told me to duck and wondered if he had really meant to shoot me instead and just gotten lucky.

* * *

 **A pirate who wants Valkyrie dead? The pirates sailing willingly into a trap? Oh, the dramas!**


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Lord Vile, Darquesse or Ghastly.

* * *

I was standing on the deck alone looking out at the sea. I'd had my lessons and I'd enjoyed them but Flagg had made me nervous. It had made me even more nervous that Skulduggery had said nothing about the incident. I wondered uneasily if he'd wanted me dead. I sighed. Being on the ship was bringing out my Darquesse side, and I was always paranoid as Darquesse.

I was about to go torment Jolly in the galley when a searing pain ripped through my skull, dropping me to the deck on my knees. A hazy image of a skeleton pirate capitan flickered in front of me and I knew I was looking at The Back Death. He was magnificent as pirates went, his black great coat, hat and heavy boots clearly magical and blacker than the shadows that writhed around him.

He looked at me and spoke in a voice that sounded like it came from beyond the grave. "Things are not as they seem. As one Necromancer to another, I give you fair warning, Darquesse. Turn back and leave me in peace. I've no wish to fight with you, girl. Do not trust Louis Phillipe he leads you to your doom." The image flickered and was gone and I was dimly aware of shouting and men running about the deck.

Strong hands helped me up and I looked at the giant of a skeleton in front of me. He never spoke that I was aware of so when he did it surprised me. "You have been attacked by a powerful warrior, allow me to help you. Please?" He asked, his strong African accent somehow soothing me. He reached into a pouch at his waist drawing out herbs that he spat into to make a paste. I cringed but as he rubbed them on my forehead, chanting, the pain ceased.

"Thank you, that was amazing. Mister?" I paused rather ashamed I didn't know all the crew by name by now.

"I have no name. Lost it and my kingdom hundreds of years ago when I was enslaved and put aboard a ship. The Capitan saved me, granted me my freedom. But you, what would you call me?" He asked and I poked around in my head for any scraps of African history and only came up with legends.

"Ogun is the only name that come to mind at present. Sorry, it's just that you carry a saber and-" I shrugged but he nodded, pleased.

"And I do magic as well? Very insightful. I am pleased, not offended. Had the elders of my village kept the old ways and honoured him I would not have been captured. My strength would not have failed me. But they took and destroyed his sacred places, broke my connection to him. Or tried to." He nodded to himself. "You are a strong warrior yourself to survive such a strong attack, Darquesse." I sighed and looked at the assembled men.

So they knew. Perfect.

* * *

After the attack the pirates seemed to avoid me. All except for Flagg. He found me brooding on the deck alone after dinner and regarded me closely. "You and I both know there was more to his message than what he said. Something hidden. With a man that unsound and violent I expect it was a proposal." He said grimly and I stared at him, saying nothing.

Flagg sighed. "You are Darquesse, yet he showed you just a taste of his power. He was able to bring you to your knees. It was a warning, yes, but I sailed with him at one time, back when we were both still alive. I know this is what he finds...romantic."

"You sailed with him? Why?"

Flagg shrugged, leaning against the railing. "Did you ever notice something about other mages, Valkyrie Cain? I started my training much as you did and entered a war at a young age. Too young. When I excelled at my training and became the killer they expected me to, and let us not lie, we are killers, they feared me." I nodded, noticing his accent had vanished. I didn't trust or like Flagg, but I couldn't afford to have such a dangerous enemy either.

"You noticed I'm different, I don't have to pretend to be a mere pirate with you. I killed The Black Death once before and I will most happily kill him again. That is why I am here, to neutralize him. And you? You are here in case I fail. Remember that, Darquesse." He hissed my name as if my spurning his friendship made him angry and I went to our cabin to find Skulduggery, but he was missing.

I explored the cabin then, poking around in his desk out of boredom and I supposed I shouldn't have, it was his desk, but I was angry at being lied to by so many people and treated like a weapon as Darquesse. It didn't take long until I found a false bottom in a drawer. I knew I had enough time, and opened it, finding a folded letter. It looked recent.

I read it curious and felt my blood run cold. I replaced it with shaking fingers, and let my darkness flow over me. It would be a strain, but at that point shadow-walking and abandoning the crew was the kindest thing I could do. I drew my shadows around me and when they fell I was on the lawn of the Irish Sanctuary. Cleavers ran towards me and they were all I saw before I passed out.

* * *

I came to on the couch of Ghastly's office and his expression was grim. "You put an entire ship into an uproar and compromised a case. I hope you have a decent excuse." He said angrily.

"I was going to slaughter the whole crew if I didn't." I growled back and he paled. I sighed, the last thing I needed was for Ghastly to fear me. "Skulduggery is seeing someone else. Or should I say sleeping with someone else. Before you lecture me for finding the letter I have a right to know when I'm being used as a super weapon. Is that all I am to you people? A killing machine? Did you tell Skulduggery to seduce me? Did you?" I asked, angry tears in my eyes.

Ghastly looked at me with a mixture of pity and sorrow. "Val. The man is over four centuries old. Do you think you're the first woman to fall in love with him or for him to fall in love with? That doesn't excuse whatever he did to you, but sweetheart, you're so very young..."

"So you knew?" I spat out. Ghastly sighed and looked away and I felt like I was in a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. Why would he of all men condone Skulduggery just using me? "I thought you were my friend." I said, near tears again and when he didn't answer I shadow-walked again, knowing it would most likely kill me and not really caring.

I appeared on an island I'd knew would be there for me. I also knew the ships would fail in their mission because the owner of the island wasn't hiding from me. He appeared in a mass of shadows, looking deadly and powerful. "I knew you would come. That just a sampling of my power would make you love me. For I _am_ powerful, more powerful than you can imagine, Darquesse. I am like unto a God and that is why they seek to stop me." His voice was still something out of a graveyard, but it had a lulling quality.

Information passed between us and this time it didn't hurt. "Louis Phillipe wants your Necromancy power for himself, does he? Typical pirate. But then so is Skulduggery. I never knew all I was to him was a living weapon. But why choose you?"

"Because I love you, my sweet Darquesse. Together we can rule this world, make them all pay for using you, for hurting you. You will wake up soon, but I'm telling you this is the truth. Trust no one." His sepulchre voice hissed. The Black Death walked forward and took me in his arms then, planting his teeth on my lips in a fiery kiss that lit up my entire body in a way Skulduggery never had.

I awoke weakened and shaken. Skulduggery slept beside me and I tried to piece together what had been reality and what had been a dream. I couldn't remember anything after Flagg shooting at me that wasn't a dream and it frightened me. I looked over at Skulduggery who stirred, then was taking me in his arms, crooning loving words at me. "Another nightmare?" He asked and I nodded weakly.

He got up and made coffee, lighting the candles and lamps as he went. "You do seem to attract homicidal maniacs, don't you?" He asked after I told him about the dream.

"What does that make you?" I snapped, still angry and unable to separate his betrayal in my dreams from reality. Skulduggery looked stung.

"It makes me the man who is in love with you. Who is faithful to you. You aren't here as a super weapon, Valkyrie. You're here because I'm most likely not surviving and I wanted time with the woman I loved before I died." His voice was trembling with emotion and I went to him, holding him close, then drawing him into a searing kiss in an attempt to forget The Black Death's passionate embrace.

* * *

It turned out that what had happened on the deck was real, at least some of it was. I'd fallen and gone into a trance state and everything after that had happened only in my head, Skulduggery and the other pirates frantically trying to save me. It made me uneasy that it had been so real. This wasn't Nuit pulling me into a dream, this was far more powerful and addictive.

Because I wanted to be with The Black Death more than I'd ever wanted anything. I knew it was a spell, some sort of sway, and I told Skulduggery who was just silent for a long time as we prepared to join the men for breakfast the next morning. "Didn't you hear me, Skulduggery? He's calling me to him and I'm afraid I'm going to give in and go." I said shakily and he looked at me and sighed.

"Why is he even a temptation, Valkyrie? Am I not enough?" He asked and my heart broke.

"Of course you are! But he's calling to Darquesse." I said quietly.

"Ah. And Darquesse wants an evil lover by her side, it makes sense. It's too bad it is you Lord Vile loves then, isn't it? Darquesse tends to send the man into a homicidal rage."

"You mean _I_ send _you_ into a homicidal rage." I said quietly and his skull snapped back like I had slapped him. Because that was the one problem we had. I loved Skulduggery no mater what, even as Lord Vile. But Lord Vile hated Darquesse, and I knew Skulduggery did too, to a point. He had tried with me, he really had. But it was the nice girl Valkyrie, he loved, not the monster Darquesse.

"I don't want to loose you, Valkyrie. Whatever seductions The Black Death is using on you, please, stay with me. I may not match him for raw power, but I adore you. We both know I most likely won't survive, nobody will except you. Even if it is a lie, please tell me you choose me. Stay with me, please?" He asked and my heart melted.

I went to him, taking him into my arms. "I love you Skulduggery. Even at my worst, as Darquesse I love you. But I have to know you feel the same way. I'm begging you to give me something to hold on to. Don't let him take me. Please." I begged.

"Darquesse." He whispered and I felt my darkness slide over me in response, melting into his arms and giving in his kiss. Skulduggery was putting all his devotion into that kiss and I wasn't sure how. He hated Darquesse, he had to. But then the kiss grew icy cold, his whole body started to sear mine and I adjusted to the feeling reveling in it as frigid armour sprang up between us and it was Lord Vile I was kissing.

Lord Vile's kiss was deeper and more intense than even The Black Death's his love more fiery and passionate and I matched him, wanting more than anything for that moment to last forever. I opened my mouth exploring where I could, tasting the metallic iciness of his black armour, feeling the terrible strength in the arms the held me.

When we at last parted I looked at him, content to rest my head on his chest while an armoured hand stoked my hair slowly. Lord Vile tilted my head up, drawing me into another kiss and my senses started to swim. I thought I heard soft laughter, then it was Skulduggery separating from me, the look in his hollow eye sockets one of power and desire. "I'm more of a lover than The Black Death could ever dream of being. You're staying." His voice was a soft growl and I smiled.

That was all I'd needed for him to be willing to fight. And now that I had incentive I wondered how many pieces Darquesse would rip The Black Death into.

* * *

 **Wheee, Val goes Darquesse and my first ever Darquesse and Vile love scene. Yay me!**


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Lord Vile, Wreath or Darquesse.

* * *

Something occurred to me then. A flash of insight and I stared at Skulduggery. "Is this room warded against eavesdroppers?" I asked and he nodded even as I let my darkness retreat inside me. "Skulduggery, this is a setup. I don't trust what The Black Death told me, but something is wrong. Why were you of all people called back when he just happened to abduct a wife that may not even be real. And treasure? Why would he even care?"

"My word, whoever taught you to be such a fine detective? That's right, me. I thought it was too tidy that The Black Death just showed up after centuries of absence and only abducted a woman and stole some treasure. He'd have leveled Skeleton Cove to thwart any pursuit. I knew he seemed to be acting strangely. Now what do we do? We can't trust the other capitans, can we?" He looked at me helplessly and I wondered once again how he survived the centuries on his own.

"We do what you taught me, Skulduggery. We make our own plans. We have Vile and Darquesse as a team and now we know this is a trap. For all we know The Black Death is in on it and we're being led to our doom. Do we trust our own crew, even?"

Skulduggery hesitated, then looked at me with pride. "No, we don't, but we act like we do. All these men served under me before but that means nothing to them. I'll tell you the plan as it was then. We three capitans were to surrender to The Black Death who would assuredly kill us and our crews. You would escape, having been warned and use the black crystal on the island to revive us after you'd defeated The Black Death."

"And that was happening, _how_?" I asked with a frown.

"Same crystal. You were to revive Louis Phillipe first so he could help you in the fight. Good God. He planned on killing you, didn't he? And taking the crystal and the powers for his own. I can't believe I walked right into this. We're in for it, aren't we?" He asked and I shook my head.

"No, Louis Phillipe is in for it. No doubt I'd be dead by now if I'd sailed on his ship like he wanted. I don't trust or like The Black Death but well, strange as it seems from what Wreath taught me he was being civil. Necromancers, as demented as we are, won't in general kill our own kind."

"Mm, well let's not assume we have an ally. Breakfast then?" He asked with his most charming grin and I nodded. We were partners once more and I couldn't wait to get the bad guys. This was going to be fun.

* * *

After breakfast I trained with Black Flagg who was being almost kindly. Well for him, at any rate. "That's it, lass. Be lettin' the sights do the work for ye. I know it be a man's weapon and such but yer gettin' it fine." He praised me as I learned to prepare and shoot the blunderbuss and dragon. Flagg explained that unlike modern weapons they were prepared well before the fight as there was little time to do a reload that required packing the powder during a battle in close quarters on a ship. "I've seen a few o' the films they be showin' on pirates and can tell ye if ye get hit with one of these it will drop ye to the deck. Like yer modern shotguns. I caught it in the belly from one, flipped right off the deck and into the sea." I decided it was safe to ask about The Black Death. The men knew I was a detective even if the idea of a thinking woman amused them.

"Mr. Flagg, you know I work for the Capitan so I'd like to hear more about how The Black Death abducted Angélique and stole the treasure. I'd like to help if I can." He nodded and looked at me. I knew he was judging me.

"That be a good question, lass. There's thems that believe there is no Angélique. Ain't no one that ever saw her, you see. Maybe from far away a figure in a dress, but the wench herself? I don't mind tellin' ye that Louis Phillipe is not to be trusted, lass. When he allowed The Black Death to take berth on the island, that tore it for the rest of us. His own crew be keepin' a sharp lookout on him." I nodded, thanked him for the lesson and information and was leaving, wondering why no one on the crew had bothered to tell Skulduggery when Flagg stopped me with a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"We didn't tell you or the Capt'n as it be the right of his own men to attack first. Aye. He's betrayed 'em for somethin' though none of us knows what. You mind yourself on the ship lass, I wouldn't put it past him to put one of his men on this ship. I'll be escortin' you to the bridge then, aye." I nodded and smiled my thanks. Flagg looked at me when we arrived, paused then spoke abruptly. "You and the Capt'n have my arm if you need me." He nodded then left and I joined Skulduggery at the helm.

He gave me a look that told me to save anything I'd learned for our quarters then smiled at me. "Jolly's been wanting to borrow you back for the galley. He can't figure out crème brûlée on his own and as we're putting into a magical port just long enough to gather supplies he'd love your help." I nodded asking with a glance if I could trust Jolly or the other pirates not to abduct me and he shrugged.

"I'd be happy to." I said knowing we needed to act normal and knowing full well I could be stepping into a trap. I supposed a magical island should have surprised me, but it was a haven for mages who didn't mind pirate crews so long as they paid and didn't pillage. It was distinctly odd to set foot on an island mortals would never find, odder still to be shopping with Jolly in a modern supermarket.

He thankfully agreed to get more of the frozen crème brûlées and we soon were stocked up, though he begged me to get the cream and sugar and show him how to make it the long way and I did. We were back on the ship and underway when he smiled shyly at me. "Been missin' you down here, I have. It's been lonely, considerin'." I smiled and realized he liked me, or he was doing a good job of pretending. I warned myself to remember Long John Silver was a harmless cook as well.

"I've missed you too, Jolly. You know I'm helping the Capitan, right?" I asked and he nodded as we brought out the desserts to cool. "Well what could you tell me about The Black Death and the abduction?"

Jolly made a face and spat. "T'wasn't any if you ask me. I don't like it, missus. Not a bit. Find me a pirate that's seen this Angélique and I'll find you a liar. Don't like it, missus. Not a bit." He paused the smiled at me. "Was nice seein' you with Flagg. You remind him of her so much. Almost touched you, he did. But stopped himself." He said as we loaded the desserts into the refrigerator, the one concession he'd been happy to make to have fresh fruit, cream, eggs and other things available to the men at all times.

"I remind him of who?" I asked, feeling stupid for not knowing.

"His wife of course. She was taken from him. Some said that it was The Black Death who did it, but me money be on Phillipe. He's been seen with plenty of women, only they are never seen again. They've all been engaged to be married or wives too." He looked at me worriedly. "Now you know why Capt'n Skull got you away from him. Was news on all of us when Phillipe announced he was married." I nodded not bothering to ask why nobody said anything, but Jolly must have read my expression.

"Don't take it hard, missus. We was all keepin' a sharp lookout for ye and the Capt'n. We still be doin' so. Aye."

"Thanks, Jolly. I had no idea Flagg was even married. So he's sailing for revenge?" Jolly nodded.

"As is most of the crew, missus. We've all lost sweethearts and always The Black Death was to blame, but never did we see hide nor hair o' him until he puts into berth and Phillipe says he's welcome on the island and we're not to be gettin' our revenge neither."

"This is a stupid question, but did his ship look right? Was it The Black Death or wasn't anyone close enough to see, like with Angélique?"

"Cor! Ye got me there, missus! Didn't get a good look at him, did we? None o' us did. And the ship? She sailed in at night, left roughly three days later at night. But no alarm was sounded, was it? Wouldn't be like a man in love not to visit his lady at night, would it? Cor, we've been lied to, we have!" A look came over Jolly's face and I saw the pirate and the man he truly was. A deadly fighter, quick to anger if he'd been lied to. I was starting to wonder if anger management problems weren't a requirement to become a pirate.

* * *

Skulduggery and I took dinner in our cabin and he listened thoughtfully to my reports. "I agree, Valkyrie. It's rather strange men that see you as my property are confiding in you. They know you'd tell me everything. But why mention Flagg's wife? Oh, of course. Because I lost my family. I forgot there for a second." He said dryly and I repressed a sigh.

I wasn't jealous of his wife, but I knew, all things being equal if she hadn't died he'd be with her and not me. I wondered again, uneasily if Nuit had been right. Did he want her back? But I slapped myself mentally. His wife had rescued me herself and put Skulduggery in my care. It had to be killing her inside to see him with another woman though. I sighed, wishing she were there to advise me. "What's the matter? Did I upset you? I'm sorry." Skulduggery apologized.

"Take this the right way, but I wish your wife was here. She'd have figured out what was going on by now from being able to see more than we do."

"I wish she was here too." Skulduggery said and I looked at him, choosing to say nothing. I nodded absently at his offer for coffee. Skulduggery prepared it, shooting me worried glances, but I ignored him, lost in my thoughts. He handed me a cup and I grunted my thanks at him, setting it aside, not really wanting it since he had made it. I could feel my darkness rising, my anger at his thoughtless words. I wanted to hurt him like he had hurt me and my shadows started to writhe around me.

My anger was growing, spilling over and I thought back to my dream. It was so tempting to abandon him to his fate. To let him sail into certain death just because I could. I shot him a venomous look, and he looked ready to cry. "I've done something wrong, haven't I?" He asked helplessly and I realized he had no idea how badly he had hurt me. It felt then like that moment was a spinning coin and only I could choose which way it tipped.

Did I give in to my hate, anger and jealousy and abandon him, or did I see things from his point of view? Of course he missed and loved his family. Because he was a good, loving man. Just like he'd miss me if I died, but would find love once more. I let my darkness retreat and held out my arms to him. "Skulduggery." I breathed and he came to me, and trembled in my arms. "You haven't done anything wrong, except fall in love with a crazy woman." I said, tears in my eyes at the thought of how easily I could have lost him if I'd walked away.

Skulduggery laughed, then drew me into a lingering kiss. It was sweet and chaste, and very tender and I loved him for it. We retreated to our bed with our coffee and talked of nothing in particular. I looked at him. "You know I am crazy, right? We're on a ship full of pirates we can't trust and sailing into a trap and I couldn't be happier."

"That's my girl." Skulduggery said fondly. "Thought I'd lost her there for a moment. But of course I'm so very dashing and charming she couldn't resist me." He said and grinned at me. I rolled my eyes and laughed, then softened my expression. He was being serious.

"Yes, very charming and dashing. And dead sexy." I teased and he almost spat out his coffee.

"Behave." He managed to wheeze once he stopped choking and I laughed.

* * *

The Black Death came to me in my dreams that night. "So others have warned you of Louis Phillipe's treachery?" He asked, extending a hand to help me rise from the rocky shore I was sitting on. "I warn you as well, do not engage me child, I will kill you. I would much rather you shared my bed." At his words we were in what must have been his own capitan's quarters. "A night of pleasure with me, and you'll forget anything else." The Black Death promised. He wrapped his arms around me and planted his teeth firmly on my lips. The same fire flooded my veins as before and I let my darkness consume me. As I became fully Darquesse I appreciated having a lover who accepted me as I was, whose roaming hands and questing teeth were reserved for me alone. The Black Death was even more fiery that before in his passion and I knew I'd found my true love at last.

* * *

 **I just love happy endings, don't you? So much for the Valduggery.**


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Darquesse, Lord Vile or Ghastly. What you really thought the false ending was the real one? Ah, ye of little faith...

* * *

I pulled The Black Death closer still and working at opening his shirt when he was suddenly pulled from me by thick cables of shadows. I turned, startled and watched as Lord Vile smashed him repeatedly against the wall. He kept going, hammering with his shadows, easily cutting through the shadows The Black Death raised to defend himself. He kept hitting until there was nothing but a broken pile of bones and even this he ground into dust.

Vile turned and glared at me, clearly affronted and I just smiled at him. He vanished in a swirl of shadows and I awakened to find Skulduggery glaring at me in the early morning light that filtered into our quarters. "Valkyrie? How could you? I _trusted_ you. Vile trusted you." His voice was heartbroken and I smiled gently at him, opening my hand and tossing him a medallion. Skulduggery caught it, looked down, and then at me, clearly puzzled.

"Put it on, it's a gift." I said and he did, though he clearly didn't want anything from me at that point. "Now think of the crystal. Think of it being here." I said and he did. It appeared on the cabin floor, a huge cluster of black crystals that seemed to pulse with life.

"Well I'll- You've become a pirate after all, haven't you? My apologies for doubting you, but I don't see why you had to kiss him." He said, lighting the lamps and candles as he set about making coffee.

"I had to let him think he won. One of the nice thinks about being Darquesse is I could plant the idea in my own head that I chose him and fool myself into believing it. I knew the idea of his wife-to-be in another man's clutches would make Vile go nuclear."

Skulduggery grinned and came to embrace me but I stepped away from his embrace. "That was a mean thing of you to say you know, that you wished your wife was here instead of me."

"What? Never, Valkyrie! When did I ever say such a thing, ever?"

"Right when you made me coffee, remember? I wished your wife was here and you did too?" I growled, hurt and angry.

"I wasn't talking about my first wife, Valkyrie. I was talking about the one I want to marry. I wanted her here, as my wife, so I could make love to her. Because all she has done, even when she thought I didn't love her is help me and show me love. You could have left, why didn't you?"

"Because I love you, even if you are the village idiot and don't think of how things will sound when you say them." I growled. Skulduggery grinned and came forward again to embrace me and this time I let him. He held me to him tightly, then kissed me chastely and let go. He moved to make us coffee and grinned back at me.

"The Black Death is dead now, you know. That was him. So now he is dead and we have the crystal which I'm guessing would power his ship. Forgive me for spoiling things, but since when do things go this easy for us?" He asked, handing me my coffee.

"Speak for yourself! You didn't have his manky hands and teeth all over you. He wasn't just dead he was rotting. You better be glad I love you, even as Darquesse." I growled and he grinned in delight.

"But while you had yourself convinced he was who you wanted it was fun." He teased.

"Yeah, and I knew how terrible and repulsive it would be after. I could sense you were coming so I had to distract him with my tongue, Skulduggery. My tongue!" Skulduggery laughed until he was wheezing.

"Aw, wasn't he everything you dreamed he'd be?" He asked, between gasps, then managed to collect himself. "Sorry, Val. Sorry. It's just, you should see the look on your face, it's priceless." He laughed again, then smiled at me lovingly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, I really am. So all this time, it was an act?"

"Yeah, thankfully, it was. He made it clear he'd been watching, like Nuit. You know, for a rotting corpse he kissed pretty well." I teased and Skulduggery glared daggers at me.

* * *

We didn't tell the men about the crystal and kept on course, acting surprised to find no one on the island when we arrived. What surprised me was no other ships in the area. True, we had switched to modern engines, but so had the other capitans once Skulduggery had contacted them. I was uneasy, wondering if this was a trap to be sprung by two ships or if Capitan Jack Skull and his crew were at the bottom of the ocean, betrayed by Phillipe.

The men were nervous and rightly so. If the ships had got separated we were to remain far enough off the island to be out of reach of any cannons. I looked at Skulduggery as the skeleton pirates gathered around us. "Where in Hades is his ship, Skulduggery?" I asked and the men looked towards the island, some crossing themselves and muttering darkly.

Skulduggery looked at them. "We all knew this was a trap. If it awaits us on the island or at sea we don't know. I'm willing to take a small party on shore and leave someone in command of the ship. If they do attack, you know to leave without us." He said and the crew looked uneasy.

Jolly was the first to speak up. "Seein' as how I just checked the engine room when the engine cut off sudden like I don't think we'll be goin' anywhere, Capt'n. We're becalmed, we are. T'weren't any of the crew as done it neither, 'tis that devil island." He spat and crossed himself and gave a good glare at the island.

I realized I had to speak up. "Jolly, Mr. Flagg, I want you to form a landing party with me. If there is no ship there is something seriously wrong here. Skulduggery, we'll be back as soon as we can." I said and he and the men nodded.

We packed weapons and food quickly, knowing we might be stranded on the island for days or weeks if something happened to the ship. I could get to the Sanctuary fine by myself by shadow-walking, but it was doubtful they or I would ever find the island again. Jolly manned the oars and again I thought of Long John Silver. What if he was the mastermind? What if I and Flagg were his prisoners and didn't know it? Flag must have picked up on my thoughts because he cast me an uneasy glance and I shrugged. We didn't have much choice at that point but to trust Jolly.

We landed and were at a loss of where to begin. No ship was docked at the rotted wharf and none had been for centuries at least. Everything around us was broken and decayed. If The Black Death did still roam the island he didn't care about appearances. We searched, finding nothing in the broken buildings or abandoned castle. We circled the island finding no one, nor any ships lurking in wait. "I don't like the feelin' in my bones, I don't." Jolly growled softly, withdrawing his pistols. Flagg did the same and I massed my shadows as we headed back to the rotted wharf and our tied up boat. The boat was gone.

I looked at the pirates and knew I had to make a choice. I could shadow-walk the three of us back to the ship and possibly into a trap, or suggest we remain on the island with the person who had unmoored our boat. I was contemplating these choices when I head a sound behind me and whirled with the others. Louis Phillipe walked towards us cheerfully, seemingly sure of his victory. "Ah, you have come to the rescue of the sweet Angelique, detective? Unfortunately she does not exist. The Black Death did, but I can't seem to find him on the island or his ship, but no matter. You are here and you will use the crystal to power Skulduggery's ship, to make me invincible on the seas."

"Or you'll do what?" I asked and he paused. I turned and signaled to Skulduggery who was watching calmly through a spyglass from the deck. He nodded and disappeared from view and a minute later there were shadows writhing around _The Revenge_ and she changed to a pitch black colour as she grew, rising up out of the sea to boast several more gun decks, all of which were trained on the island.

"Ever hear the phrase, 'Shoot the hostage?' I asked and Phillipe tried to flee, but I snared him with my shadows, whipping out my cuffs. At long last an arrest. We rowed him back to _The Revenge_ where he cursed loud and long about the no good pirates in his crew marooning him there. I looked at the pirates who'd gathered around to see his capture and we all laughed.

* * *

The pirates were rowdy that night, and Skulduggery let them enjoy the victory. No one needed to know that The Black Death had been back and although I suspected he knew where the ship was, I didn't ask, content to let him have some secrets at least. The grog, rum and other spirits flowed freely, and soon we were watching skeleton pirates pass out or run about the ship and do foolish things like falling out of the rigging. I laughed, helping a startled pirate who landed at our feet upright and he grinned and ran off. "You could join them. you know." I said, nodding toward our crew.

Skulduggery shook his head. "Someone has to run the ship. That was a clever idea of yours, having radio transmitters on all of you. Showed a great deal of trust in Jolly and Flagg. What made you do it?" I shrugged.

"The war changed me. I didn't want to live in a world where I couldn't trust anyone. Speaking of trust, where is Capitan Skull and his crew?"

"They sailed in earlier under cover of darkness that his crew managed to raise and sunk the rotting galleon they'd found. If The Black Death ever did sail into harbor, and I doubt he did, it wasn't in that wreck. He was framed. Unfortunately for him he was still a Necromancer who wanted Vile's wife. Well, fiancee." He corrected himself with a slight blush.

"And all this time it was Phillipe abducting and killing the women. He drew on the legend of the man knowing fear of The Black Death would make people afraid to ask questions. He would have had me too, if my Capitan wasn't defending his property." I said amused.

"Hush, wench." Skulduggery said, blushing even brighter. Jolly brought us coffee as we manned the bridge and Skulduggery smiled at him. He turned to me. "Valkyrie, may I present to you Capitan Jolly Rogers, and before you smile he was the one to send The Black Death to his watery grave the first time." I smiled in pleased surprise, then caught Jolly in a tight hug.

"You are like Long John Silver, I just knew it!" I said and he grinned.

"Your uncle wasn't the first to base novels on mages, missus." He said with a definite wink, then took the helm, having resisted the temptation to party with the others to join us on duty. "You know, with you two returnin' to the Sanctuary and all.." He began and Skulduggery laughed gently.

" _The Revenge_ is yours for as long as you wish, Capitan Rogers. As of now she's your ship." Jolly turned toward us, pleased with himself.

"Always knew I could be trustin' you. I don't need to ask where The Black Death is, saw what was left of him when we was in the castle, I did. And you, missus, tried and true and standin' by us, even when it looked grim. And stealin' from The Black Death as well. A fine pirate you've become and I'm right proud to know ye." He grinned and I smiled at him glad to see that things were turning out well all around.

* * *

We had Phillipe imprisoned in the Sanctuary soon enough and the pirates were safely tucked away in Pirate Cove, which of course moved the moment we left and I was glad for it. The treasure had been found secreted away by Phillipe on the island shortly after we left, so the case was actually solved. Ghastly looked at us and shook his head at me. "You do realize she's walked the streets of Dublin wearing a saber and flintlock pistols, and so did you, come to think of it." He said in exasperation. Skulduggery and I looked down at ourselves then grinned at him.

"It's Dress Like a Pirate Day." Skulduggery said with a nod and Ghastly buried his face in his hands with a sigh.

"There is no such thing." He mumbled and Skulduggery and I just laughed.

* * *

 **Wheee! Ah, I'll miss our pirates. But it was a fun journey to say the least.**


End file.
